Consultation on modern workplaces
The “Consultation on Modern Workplaces” launched by the Government in May 2011 proposes radical changes for 2015 to maternity and parental leave, which could create a huge administrative burden on employers, and shifts the focus of diversity measures away from women, toward equal treatment for both parents, plus additional paid leave. Employers don’t need to […]
How to… Set up a Health at Work programme
Whether you are already running health initiatives in your workplace or just getting started, the British Heart Foundation’s Health at Work experts suggest these practical steps for a successful health and wellbeing programme. Create a support group made up of representatives from all levels and across the organisation to help plan and promote initiatives. Gain […]
Wellbeing at work: review of Fellowes office aids
You have a duty of care to your employees. Wellbeing is important and employees off sick – for whatever reason – is inconvenient and costly. So it’s important to make adjustments and practice preventative steps as the best medicine. This includes desk assessments and ensuring employees know how best to prevent any common issues caused […]
Cancer-suffering apprentice sacked
A teenage cancer sufferer was sacked from his apprenticeship because his employers did not want to have to deal with a disabled staff member, an employment tribunal has heard. Michael Ready is claiming unfair dismissal, discrimination under the Disability Act and breach of contract, although William and Tracey McManus, the husband and wife team who […]
Internal, informal hires left with no training or support
Despite the benefits that coaching can bring, all too many organisations select internal candidates on an informal basis and then fail to provide them with adequate training or support, a study has revealed. According to a survey among learning and development managers at 250 large companies undertaken by QA Research on behalf of the Institute […]
The elephant in the HR department?
Not a real one, but as good as…. The elephant I’m talking about is stress, overwhelm, burnout. Here’s an example from a recent post on the dilemmas section of an HR jobs board: "I have never been under more pressure at work. I’m an HR manager of a small firm. Two of my team members […]
Employees need holiday every 60 days
UK workers need to take a holiday every 60 days if they are to stay fresh, focused and avoid feeling stressed, according to research. A survey among 2,000 adults undertaken by Post Office Travel Insurance revealed that one in four felt the need to take a break from work every two months, with 20% feeling […]
Ask the expert: Do we have to pay sleeping workers?
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether the pay-to hours ratio on this sleep shift is correct and legal. The question: Paying the sleeping shift Currently staff work a shift of 7pm to 7am. They work (awake) from 7pm to 11pm and then can sleep from 11pm to […]
The HR Headmistress asks: Overtime – is it bad for business?
From being a fact of working life, overtime has become a very emotive subject. Perhaps that’s the influence of the rise of the work-life balance lobby. Setting aside business owners, for whom 30-40 hours overtime a week is the norm, in the main there are two discrete groups of workers who regularly work overtime. Historically, […]
Long hours are bad for your health, study reveals
Staff who work more than 11 hours a day are two thirds more likely to suffer heart disease than colleagues working a standard seven to eight hours, research has found. The study undertaken by researchers at University College London tracked the health of 7,095 civil servants aged between 39 and 62 over an 11-year period. […]
Employers working with managers and GPs see fall in sickness absence
Employers that both train line managers appropriately and introduce tougher targets in relation to staff sickness absence are a third more likely to reduce non-attendance rates than those that fail to take action. These are the key findings of a survey among 454 organisations undertaken by UK manufacturing member body EEF and health insurance provider, […]
New guide to help identify stress risks at work
A new guide to help employers assess and manage the workplace risks that could lead employees to suffer mental and physical stress has been published by the British Standards Institution. The Publicly Available Specification or PAS 1010 ‘Guidance on the management of psychosocial risks in the workplace’ was developed by BSI Standards. But it is […]
Sweatshop labour claims in Kent
The UK’s largest greenhouse complex, which supplies many of the country’s leading supermarkets, is being investigated following claims that agency workers at its facility in Kent are being treated like “sweatshop labour”. The Gangmasters Licensing Authority, which regulates agency practices, is looking into complaints lodged by Unite against Thanet Earth, which supplies cucumbers, peppers and […]
Corporate Manslaughter Act: are you doing enough?
Jim Irving examines new vulnerabilities within businesses when it comes to the legislation and considers how else to best protect staff. As the Corporate Manslaughter Act came into force on 6 April 2008, and with recent new sentencing guidelines recommending appropriate fines to start from £500,000 in the event of a conviction, all companies […]
Absenteeism costs UK business £32bn a year
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Absenteeism is costing UK business about £32bn per annum, with workers taking an average of 10 unscheduled days off, about twice that of their counterparts in the US and Asia-Pacific. According to a study among 2,000 companies undertaken by management consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers, UK personnel, who are […]
Wellbeing – can it work with flex?
In recent years ‘wellbeing’ has become a bit of a benefits buzz-word with many employers now feeling that they have some level of responsibility for looking after their employees. The reasons are varying, including factors such as commercial benefit, legislative requirements or the desire to be seen as an employer of choice. A typical wellbeing […]
Income protection insurance instead of statutory sick pay
Lord Freud, the government’s welfare reform minister is considering proposals for the reform of the current system of statutory sick pay (SSP) to cover sick employees. His aim is to avoid people claiming long term sickness and disability benefits by providing earlier support for employees. He has commissioned an independent review of sickness absence which […]
Happiness and wellbeing during depression awareness week
Physical and mental wellbeing is a key theme this week, with the focus being on raising awareness of the impact of depression and the need for first aid skills and equipment in the workplace. Depression affects a huge one in five of the UK population at some point and costs the British economy more than […]
Ask the expert: Sickness and pay increases
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether to give a pay increase to an employee on sick pay. The question: Sickness and pay increases I have an employee on long term sick, the SSP has long ended and we are approaching our financial end of year. The other […]
Deja vu – the back to work interview
Back-to-work interviews help to reintegrate staff returning to the workplace. This can include planned absences such as maternity leave or a sabbatical. The aim is to welcome employees back, brief them on any relevant matters and ensure they are fully prepared to take up their duties again. The most frequent use of return-to-work (RTW) interviews […]
