Ask the Expert: Do staff have to attend grievance appeals if off sick?
The question After a decision to overrule a grievance raised against another member of staff, the originator of the grievance is now on sick leave due to the stressful situation at work. What are their rights in relation to refusing an invitation to an appeal hearing while they are signed off by a doctor […]
News: Smokers cost employers £1.4bn in absence and lost productivity
While smokers cost their employers £1.4 billion per year in sickness absence and lost productivity, a growing number of workers are also worried that they drink too much. According to a report in the journal ‘Addiction’, current smokers take on average 2.7 more days off sick than non-smoking colleagues and are 33% more likely to […]
News: BBC to investigate harassment claims after journalist’s suicide
The BBC has appointed a third party to investigate whether complaints about sexual harassment by a journalist who later committed suicide were handled properly. The family of Russell Joslin has accused the broadcaster of failing to act on the complaints of sexual harassment from a female colleague made by the reporter for BBC Coventry and […]
Legal Insight: Working with the Working Time Regulations
The coalition government has expressed its commitment to “deregulating” employment law. As part of this approach, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, is specifically targeting European Directives and has pledged the government’s commitment to negotiate UK domestic law out of these obligations. Her concern is that directives passed down from Europe, which must subsequently be […]
News: Eight ways to cope with the clocks going back
As the clocks go back this Sunday and the days continue to darken, millions of workers will once again find themselves suffering from the winter blues as British summertime officially ends. The short days can have a significant impact on some employees’ health and wellbeing, but the time change can also lead to short-term complications […]
News: Afternoon naps boost staff health and productivity
Allowing employees to take an afternoon nap is not only good for their health, but also improves their ability to concentrate and learn, a study has found. A review of US and European research revealed that if workers took a 30 minute siesta three times a week, they were 37% less likely to die of […]
Ask the Expert: Are we legally obliged to have a health and safety policy?
The question Although my employer does not have a health and safety policy, the internal website says that: "As an employee, you have a personal responsibility to take care of yourself and others and to avoid placing yourself or others in a situation that is hazardous or a risk to health." I have […]
How to recognise workplace bullying
Workplace bullying is definitely on the rise, not least because of the ample opportunities for cyber-bullying in our increasingly high tech work environments. The situation is also not helped by the tough economic climate, which tends to have an impact on management behaviour and can lead to increased levels of stress throughout the organisation, not […]
Legal Insight: How to deal with long-term sick leave
Although the holiday season may have ended, the holiday-related pain for those employing people on long-term sick leave has not. This is because European law enables UK employees to save up the holiday leave entitlement accruing to them while on sick leave and take it when they are well enough to return to work. […]
Blog: Would you hire someone with a drug or alcohol dependency?
The HRZone community will already be well aware that getting people ‘back to work’ and reducing the welfare bill are central to this government’s ambitions. What may not be so familiar is the way in which this broader political context is reflected in policy on treatment for drug and alcohol problems. The vision of […]
How to create a physically healthy workplace
According to the Health and Safety Executive’s latest figures, we’re gradually getting the message about making the working environment a more healthy one. The organisation indicates that, between April 2010 and March 2011, around 1.2 million people were suffering from an illness caused or made worse by their job, down from 1.3 million the previous […]
News: Celebrity campaigns help reduce mental health stigma at work
Less stigma is being attached to mental health issues than a year ago following a number of TV and press campaigns and celebrities talking openly about their conditions, research has found. A survey among 1,000 employers and 1,000 staff conducted by insurance provider Aviva, published to coincide with World Mental Health Day, revealed that just […]
Blog: World Mental Health Day – How to deal with depression
British workers are apparently the most depressed in Europe. According to a new study, the Impact of Depression in the Workplace in Europe, one in four British workers (26 percent) will take time off work for depression – compared to around one in ten across Europe. We’re also likely to be off work for longer, […]
Blog: What Boris can teach us about resilience
As nights draw in during early October, and the rain beats down outside, another political party conference season continues and we see some leaders blossom while others blunder! While George Osborne spreads apocalyptic doom across the country of slashed benefits spending and ever worsening public finances, we can rely upon Boris Johnson to raise our […]
Talking Point: Do you know what stress looks like?
Health and Safety Executive figures show that 10 million working days are lost in the UK each year to stress. Each case of stress-related ill health leads to an average of 30 days off work, resulting in an annual cost to British business estimated to be in excess of £5 billion. And the problem […]
News: Sickness absence down, presenteeism and mental illness up
Although average employee absence levels have dropped by as much as a day, job insecurity has led to a rise in presenteeism and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. According to a survey conducted among 667 employers by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and health insurance provider Simplyhealth, staff absence levels […]
Ask the Expert: What to do about a serious staff/manager rift?
The question Within the business, we have an employee and a line manager whose working relationship has completely broken down. The line manager has been with us for 20 years and has an unblemished record. The employee has been in post for three months, but has had no previous employment issues and her references […]
Blog: Are your staff getting enough shuteye?
For many of us pressing the snooze button on our alarms has become part of our daily routine and taking your laptop home alongside that extra pile of paperwork has become something of the norm. But do we actually realise the negative impact this is having on our productivity in the workplace? ‘Chronic lack of […]
News: Lack of HR support means 1/3 senior hires consider quitting in first 3 months
A failure by top managers to work closely enough with HR means that two out of five senior hires consider quitting in their first 90 days and are 50% less productive than they would otherwise be. According to a survey among 283 senior executives and 38 HR directors conducted by recruitment consultancy, Harvey Nash, a […]
News: Fear of fitness-to-work test driving disabled to suicide
Fear of fitness-to-work tests are driving some disabled people to suicide and causing others mental health problems, according to the latest research among GPs. A survey of more than 1,000 family doctors in the UK revealed that more than four out of five had patients who had developed mental health issues such as stress, anxiety […]
