It’s snow joke for employers and the economy
This week’s snow has seen staff absence levels leap four-fold rise compared to last year, with the cost to the economy expected to hit as much as £1.2 billion per day in lost business. According to FirstCare, which provides absence management services, employers in Scotland and the North of England have been most affected as […]
Employment law round-up: Interesting developments in 2010
It’s been a busy year so far for employment lawyers. While we can’t cover all the changes that have happened in one article, here are a few interesting developments, plus ideas for ones to watch for in the near future. Fit notesThe Government suggested these would save British industry £240 million by getting us all […]
National Stress Awareness Day misses the point – focus on resilience
Stress Awareness Day should be rebranded Resilience Awareness Day in order to focus attention less on the symptoms and more on potential cures for the now widespread malaise, according to an HR services firm. Kevin Friery, clinical director of Right Management’s Right CoreCare business, said that staff today were stressed about two key things – […]
Top tips to beat stress at work
Stress is still a growing problem for British workers and there is a need for greater understanding and management of it by employers in all industries. Clive James of St John Ambulance has put together his top tips to help businesses address these issues. According to a recent survey by the TUC, stress has become […]
Workplace fatalities fall to lowest point
Although the number of work-related deaths and serious injuries may be falling, the incidents of stress, bullying and harassment are on the rise. According to figures published by the Health and Safety Executive, the number of workers that were killed at work dropped to 152 between April 2009 and March 2010, down from 179 the […]
Ask the expert: Providing a reference – what’s our duty to the employer?
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether a reference given should be updated to take account of a recent disciplinary hearing. The question: providing a reference – what’s our duty to the employer? About a week ago, we supplied a reference to a prospective employer of one of our employees. Our […]
Equality Act: pre-employment health questions – what difference will it make?
The changes in the law concerning pre-employment healthcare questions have proved some of the most divisive out of all of the Equality Act adjustments. The moves outlaw medical examinations and healthcare questions prior to employment, and the changes are also designed to strengthen protection of disabled workers and applicants. The new provision prohibits employers asking […]
Ask the expert: Sickness and holiday pay
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on working out holiday leave for a sick employee. The question: Sickness and holiday pay Situation: Employee off on sick leave for 7.5 months. Received Full pay for 6 months, half pay for the remaining 1.5 months. Company policy) Returned to work on a fit note […]
UK employees too embarrassed to work up a sweat
One in three UK employees avoid taking exercise during the working day because they are embarrassed about being hot and sweaty in front of colleagues. But 55% spend more than half of their day sitting or standing still and a huge four out of five fail to take the recommended amount of exercise each week. […]
Dying for work – over 20,000 every year, claims TUC
More than 20,000 UK staff are killed prematurely through their work each year, while 1.2 million are suffering from work-related illnesses ranging from musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain to mental health problems such as depression. These are the findings of research undertaken by union umbrella organisation the TUC, which revealed that the equivalent of […]
Older workforce will present new health challenges for employers
Occupational health professionals have warned that employers could face challenges in managing the needs of the more than 50% of workers who either do not expect to retire or are unsure when they can afford to do so. An online poll among 1,478 UK workers undertaken by ICM Research on behalf of Baring Asset Management […]
Employees want counselling at work
More than half of UK staff would like their employer to provide a confidential counselling service to help them cope with recession-related stress. Moreover, according to a survey among 1,440 people undertaken by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a huge 78% now also believe that workplace stress is an acceptable reason to […]
Working hours culture changed by recession
Working patterns have changed as a result of the recession, with staff moving to a “mixed hours” rather than a “long hours” culture and older workers changing career in order to stay in employment. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the loss of nearly one million full-time jobs and a […]
Eye care: What you need to know
Eye watering statistics from a recent survey reveal that a large number of British employers are failing to comply with laws obliging them to care for the eyesight of their computer using employees. Here we present a definitive guide to what you need to provide to employees and what their rights in this area are. […]
Ask the expert: Is depression covered by the DDA?
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether depression is covered in this instance under the disability discrimination act. The question: Is depression covered by the DDA? I had been off work for some six weeks with depression. When I returned OH said that I was fit to work, without adjustments, but OH also said […]
Work-related illnesses cost UK economy £36bn
Although the number of staff who were fatally injured at work fell significantly last year, non-terminal illnesses caused by poor working practices cost the UK economy nearly £36bn. According to provisional figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), some 151 workers died in fiscal year 2009-2010, which equates to about 0.5% per 100,000 employees, […]
The eyes have it: looking after your employees’ sight
With computer screens increasingly used in people’s working lives it is vitally important that your staff have the eye protection they not only need, but are legally entitled to. Protecting employees’ eyesight against computer screen use is not just the law, it also makes good business sense. But despite that, Specsavers research has revealed […]
Sleepness nights for stressed workers
Three out of four UK workers are losing sleep because of work-related stress, while just over than half have no strong sense of belonging to their organisation. These are the depressing if unsurprising findings of several studies, which reveal the impact of the current challenging economic climate on the workforce. A survey undertaken among 6,000 […]
World Cup fever: Keep calm and carry on, says CMI
A management body has moved to calm employer fears that the World Cup could cost them £1 billion in lost productivity, but staff themselves are showing mixed responses as to whether they intend to put football or their jobs first. According to research undertaken by the Chartered Management Institute, some 54% of UK bosses are […]
Sickies cost economy £2.5 billion
Of the 180 million days that workers took off last year due to illness, 27 million or 15% were ‘sickies’, costing the UK economy a huge £2.5 billion. These are the findings of a study among senior HR personnel at 241 public and private sector organisations undertaken by employer lobby group the CBI and pharmaceutical […]