News: Afternoon naps boost staff health and productivity
Research shows that 30-minute afternoon naps three times weekly reduce coronary heart disease risk by 37%, while 90-minute naps improve learning ability by 10%. Experts recommend companies provide designated rest spaces to support employee health and productivity.
Ask the Expert: Are we legally obliged to have a health and safety policy?
Employers with five or more staff must have a written health and safety policy in place. If your employer lacks this policy and ignores requests for workplace assessments, you can file a grievance or report the breach to the Health and Safety Executive.
How to recognise workplace bullying
Workplace bullying manifests through both overt actions like public criticism and covert tactics such as gossip, exclusion, or unreasonable demands. Recognizing these behaviors—including deliberate non-action and micromanagement—is crucial, as bullying can lead to resignations, health issues, and legal claims if left unchecked.
Legal Insight: How to deal with long-term sick leave
UK employers face significant challenges managing long-term sick leave, as employees can accumulate holiday entitlement while absent and carry over reasonable amounts to the next year. Employers must balance legal obligations to support stressed or depressed employees with financial pressures, while addressing trust issues around leave usage during illness.
Blog: Would you hire someone with a drug or alcohol dependency?
Employment is critical to sustained recovery from drug and alcohol dependency, yet most employers perceive hiring people with this history as high risk. Only one-third of surveyed employers would consider hiring qualified candidates with past substance misuse, highlighting significant workplace barriers.
How to create a physically healthy workplace
Work-related illnesses affect millions annually, but creating a physically healthy workplace doesn’t require major overhauls. Simple, low-cost adjustments like proper ergonomics, optimal temperature and humidity levels, and regular screen breaks can significantly reduce workplace health problems.
News: Celebrity campaigns help reduce mental health stigma at work
Recent surveys show celebrity campaigns and media initiatives are reducing mental health stigma in workplaces. While progress is evident, nearly a third of workers still view mental illness as taboo, highlighting the need for greater employer support and awareness programs.
Blog: World Mental Health Day – How to deal with depression
British workers take significantly more time off work for depression than their European counterparts, with one in four reporting absences compared to one in ten across Europe. Experts suggest better reporting practices and reduced workplace stigma may explain higher UK figures, but employers must implement proper policies, manager training, and support services to address this serious workplace challenge.
Blog: What Boris can teach us about resilience
Boris Johnson demonstrates key resilience traits including self-belief, adaptability, emotional management, and humor that enable him to thrive under pressure and maintain public support. These qualities—crucial for navigating challenges in politics and business—show how leaders can connect with their audiences while maintaining focus and optimism during difficult times.
Talking Point: Do you know what stress looks like?
Stress costs UK businesses over £5 billion annually through lost working days and reduced employee performance. Understanding stress’s physical effects on the brain and recognizing warning signs is crucial for both employers and workers seeking to address this growing workplace health issue.
News: Sickness absence down, presenteeism and mental illness up
Employee sickness absence has fallen to 6.8 days per year, down from 7.7 in 2011, but job insecurity is driving rising presenteeism and mental health problems including anxiety and depression. A CIPD survey warns that lower absence rates may reflect employees struggling to work while ill rather than genuine health improvements.
Ask the Expert: What to do about a serious staff/manager rift?
A serious staff and manager relationship breakdown requires careful handling when neither party has committed a disciplinary offense. Expert legal advice explores your options, from dismissing the newer employee to allowing the situation to naturally resolve itself.
Blog: Are your staff getting enough shuteye?
Sleep deprivation affects 1 in 3 British workers, significantly impacting workplace productivity and performance. Research shows only 38.5% of UK workers get the recommended 7-8 hours nightly, with chronic sleep loss linked to reduced focus, concentration, and job satisfaction among employees.
News: Lack of HR support means 1/3 senior hires consider quitting in first 3 months
A new survey reveals that one-third of senior hires consider quitting within their first three months due to inadequate HR support and poor onboarding. The research found that weak manager-HR collaboration leads to 50% lower productivity and misaligned expectations about the role and company culture.
News: Fear of fitness-to-work test driving disabled to suicide
A UK survey of over 1,000 GPs reveals that the Work Capability Assessment is causing severe mental health issues among disabled people, with one in five doctors reporting patients experiencing suicidal thoughts due to the test. Charities and medical professionals are urging the government to overhaul the assessment system immediately.
Blog: Are British workers really the most idle in the world?
A book by Tory MPs claims British workers are among the world’s most idle, citing low productivity and working hours. However, critics argue poor workplace engagement and lack of employee recognition, rather than laziness, better explain Britain’s productivity gap with other G7 nations.
News: UK workers ‘most depressed in Europe’
UK workers have the highest depression diagnosis rate in Europe at over 25%, though researchers suggest this reflects better awareness rather than higher actual incidence. A Mori survey of 7,000 people across seven European countries found one in ten employees took time off work due to depression, with UK staff averaging 41 days leave per episode.
News: Bereaved parents call for corporate manslaughter charges against G4S
Parents of a security guard killed in Baghdad in 2009 are calling for G4S to face corporate manslaughter charges. A BBC documentary reveals that an alleged whistleblower warned the company about the killer’s violent criminal history and mental health issues before the incident, but the warnings were reportedly ignored.
News: Redundancies likely early next year if economy fails to improve, warns CIPD
UK employers are likely to make redundancies early next year if the economy fails to improve, the CIPD has warned, citing falling productivity and rising labour costs that are forcing difficult staffing decisions.
Blog: HR, it’s time to show bullies the exit
Workplace bullying, from screaming to exclusion, creates hostile environments that tank employee engagement. HR leaders must take action to stop these behaviors before they damage company culture and create legal liability.
