Blog: What economic impact is ‘gross national happiness’ likely to have?
Happiness is a tangible outcome! Because of my commitment to great people management and engagement, I was heartened to discover that the UN conference on happiness and wellbeing which began in New York City on 2nd April came to the conclusion that good performance on GNP (Gross National Product) didn’t automatically mean that GNH (Gross National […]
Legal Insight: Health matters part 1 – Managing sickness absence
Doom-and-gloom tales about the state of the ailing economy are prevalent at the moment and companies large and small are reportedly taking drastic steps to save money. But if panic has not yet set into your organisation and there are no full-scale redundancy programmes in the offing, consider taking alternative action by reducing costs from […]
In a Nutshell: Seven tips for managing stress-related illness
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest NHS organisations in the UK, providing health services for those living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Board employs around 14,500 staff and manages nine hospitals and 17 health centres among other responsibilities. Its aim is to take a preventative approach […]
Mini workers threaten strikes after claims of being denied loo breaks
Thousands of Mini workers are threatening to strike over a “strings attached” pay deal as it also emerged that they were facing shorter breaks and had to “ask permission” to go to the toilet. Unions have already balloted almost 2,000 of their members who work at the BMW-owned plant in Oxford over what the car […]
Blog: Attendance bonus schemes – money wasted or money well spent?
For small and medium size companies workforce costs are one of the largest expenditures. It’s no wonder why, in the current challenging economic climate, so many business owners get increasingly frustrated if the attendance of their employees is poor. Employee absenteeism costs UK businesses £32 billion per year and therefore forward-thinking companies are proactively […]
NHS Academy set up to train next generation of leaders
A national centre has been set up to train new generations of NHS, public health and social care leaders in a bid to improve patient care. Plans for the NHS Leadership Academy were unveiled by the secretary of state for health, Andrew Lansley, in July last year, and its aim is to train doctors, nurses, […]
Do UK workers get too many bank holidays?
The two Easter bank holidays just gone cost the UK economy £4.7 billion, with the figure rising to a huge £19 billion if all eight annual breaks are taken into consideration. According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, if the country’s regular bank holidays were axed, annual GDP would rise by 1.3% as […]
A day in the life of…an HR professional
Twenty years ago, most office workers arrived for work for 9am, took an hour’s break for lunch and clocked off at five. Fast forward two decades, and the average UK worker now spends an extra 73 minutes at work and takes 31 minutes and 29 seconds less time for lunch – and HR professionals are […]
Most employers believe fit notes don’t work, studies reveal
The majority of employers do not believe that fit notes work effectively in cutting sickness absence rates, two studies have revealed. An online poll undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professonials discovered that a huge nine out of ten employers felt that ‘The Statement of Fitness for Work’, which replaced the old ‘sick note’ […]
Blog: Growing your brain with the help of a ‘little online learning video’
After a few weeks prep, and a lot of fun we have launched the Little Online Learning Video (LOL_V) project, which is based on the premise that you really can grow your brain. The concept is simple and something that everyone can get involved in. LOL_v 🙂 is a library of innovative, challenging, […]
British Safety Council to unveil first workplace health manifesto in April
The British Safety Council plans to unveil its first manifesto for workplace health and safety next month to coincide with the launch of a broader European-wide awareness-raising campaign. The Council will launch its ‘Working Well’ proposals at the House of Commons on Monday 23 April, which will focus on how to reduce risk, increase leadership […]
Blog: The high cost of presenteeism
UK employers lost £36 billion last year due to employee absence. Sounds a lot? Not if we look at the other side of the coin. The cost of lower than normal productivity caused by employees showing up for work when they are not feeling 100% could be up to three times higher than absenteeism’s […]
Talking Point: Do you really know how to get the best out of your older workers?
Of all the things that we aspire to during our career, being an ‘older worker’ probably isn’t one of them. Yet, as we age, this identity is thrust upon us and, with it, a range of stereotypes based on other people’s perceptions. As a 56-year old manager recently pointed out: “Suddenly all that people […]
Blog: How to grow your brain in 30 days
A lot can happen in thirty days. Buildings can be constructed, Governments can fall, love can blossom and without doubt new habits can be formed. My previous two blogs on this subject (here and here) have outlined fascinating evidence that scientists have uncovered over the last 10 years – yes our brains continue to grow […]
Legal Insight: Staff health and wellbeing – Your duty of care
Employees who have problems — whether work-related or personal — are, for obvious reasons, unlikely to perform as well as they would if the problem did not exist. But the impact on their work can take numerous forms ranging from reduced concentration and effort to sickness absence. If endemic, the situation may even lead […]
Bus driver appeals sacking – for eating a grape
A bus driver has lodged an appeal against being sacked apparently for eating a grape while on duty. Michael Shephard, a 66-year-old granddad from Coventry, claims that he was dismissed by National Express after he was caught on CCTV popping the offending fruit into his mouth two weeks ago. Although he was sitting in […]
Employee wellness programmes: Proving their worth and paying their way
It’s a known fact that happy and engaged employees are more likely to be productive and loyal. Valuable assets to their employer, they can also help to generate a positive environment for their colleagues, time and resource savings for the HR team and positive financial savings for their employer. Several strategies exist to try […]
Blog: Three simple ways to spruce up for spring
March is a great time to get employees motivated about their wellness. The clocks change, days are getting longer, and many people find their mood lifts at this time of the year. To help you capitalise on this seasonal optimism, we've written some top tips to help staff make the most of Springtime and get […]
Blog: Two reasons why psychometric tests suck…
Here are two biiiig reasons why I think personality or psychometric tests suck… You know the drill. Once in a while the boss decides you’ve all got to get together and find out about each other. What makes you tick, and all that jazz. So how’re ya gonna do that? Lucky you – it’s MBTI time (other tests are available). […]
Case Study: Herts Council’s ‘Transformation’ programme slashes sickness absence
Hertfordshire County Council provides local services to more than a million people in the area and employs around 34,000 staff, of whom about 24,000 work in schools. Last year, it introduced a ‘Transformation’ programme – a new and radically different wellbeing strategy, aimed at reducing sickness absence and improving organisational performance. And, while it […]