Fit notes – do they fit the bill?
Companies with an existing focus on health and wellbeing could reap the benefits of the change, says Rory Murphy, external affairs manager for Water Wellpoint. From 6 April 2010, the sick note will be replaced by the ‘fit note’ in a bid to reduce sickness absence across the UK. The Department for Work and […]
The fit note – friend or foe?
Rob Woollen from Rightway Employee Wellbeing Solutions examines the new Med-3. Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months you will be aware that the new Med-3 form comes into play next week. Or does it? Some GPs are saying that whilst they have already ordered pads of the new […]
Ask the expert: Sickness in an SME
One of our employees has been off sick 22 times in the past year. Now she claims she has an underlying health condition. How should we handle it? Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise. The question: Sickness in an SME We are a very small company (two full time and one part time), and […]
Ask the expert: Withholding pay
Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on whether you can withhold an employee’s pay while you decide if an absence was unauthorised. Withholding pay We have an employee who was employed on a fixed-term contract. They suffered an injury and were absent from work for three weeks in total. The first week was self certified […]
Want engaged employees? Engage with the wellbeing of your employees
In times of financial uncertainty it can be difficult to motivate a workforce, and even harder to motivate and engage with individual members of staff. For an employee, feeling that their boss cares about them is one important aspect of engagement. However, ‘showing you care’ in a genuine and effective way can prove difficult. Showing […]
53% of UK employees express passion for their jobs
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, the Kenexa Research Institute, a division of Kenexa, a global provider of business solutions for human resources, researched, "What makes an employee passionate about his/her job?" Having passion for one's job is defined by the extent to which employees are excited about their work, feel a sense of […]
Snow days: how to cope as a business and deal with employees
Sue Evans, a partner at Lester Aldridge, offers her advice to employers about how to cope when severe weather leaves your employees snowbound or without childcare. Businesses have experienced considerable disruption so far this year as a result of the severe weather that the country has suffered, and it’s a situation likely to repeat. Many […]
HR should be on the lookout for internet addiction
Internet addiction is now a bigger problem in the UK than gambling and one that HR professionals should monitor it’s use due to its link with depression. According to the first large scale study of its kind undertaken by psychologists at the University of Leeds among 1,319 people aged 16-51, 1.2% of the sample group […]
Survey and transform absenteeism
A true story of how a biopharmaceutical company in North Wales transformed its fortunes in five years to secure its future with employee surveys. 2004: Ipsen Biopharm ceases manufacture of their core product and makes around 100 people redundant, a third of the workforce. The future success of the company relies on launching its […]
Sickie Monday – did you notice a high number of sick workers?
Some 350,000 British employees are estimated to have called in sick to work on ‘Sickie Monday’ (the first Monday in February), costing businesses around £30 million in lost revenue. According to research by the Employment Law Advisory Service (ELAS), 25% of employers now accept emails or text messages from staff to say they are ill, […]
Competition: Win a Water Wellpoint Wellbeing review for your organisation
Getting fit for 2010? How healthy do you think you and your work colleagues are? You could win a Wellbeing review worth more than £500 with our competition. The Water Wellpoint online wellbeing review assesses how employees believe their work affects their health and provides a valuable insight for employers on how they can better […]
Stress assessed: 40 million Europeans suffering from stress
Stress appears to be endemic in workplaces across Europe, affecting more than 40 million employees in the European Union and costing the regional economy a huge E20 million. In response, the British Standards Institute and Nottingham University are leading an international team to develop good practice standards for assessing and managing work-related stress. But while European […]
Recession leaves managers demanding more work with menaces
The recession has led to a big increase in bullying in the workplace, with the number of cases doubling from a decade ago, according to a new survey. A poll conducted by the union Unison indicated that more than a third of workers experienced bullying in the last six months – twice the figure of […]
Snow pay: should you dock wages of snowed-in workers?
Although employers may have a legal right to withhold workers’ pay if they do not come into work because of the snow, such action could not only be challenged but could also hit morale. The legal lowdown stands as follows: staff members are legally obliged to get themselves to work and companies are entitled […]
Snow business: The winter survival kit for your organisation
Snowed under? Get some relief from the cold snap with this advice exploring creating extreme weather policy and making the most of technology. As waves of snow sweep into Britain from Siberia, civilisation as we know it appears to have broken down. With transport and infrastructure severely disrupted, up to 20% of workers […]
Snow business: 14% not in work, costing economy £0.5bn per day
Absence is at an all-time high as employees find themselves snowed under, according to FirstCare, who estimate it will cost business £0.5bn per day to cope with such high levels of absence. Is it quiet in the office? It seems likely as more employees are staying at home than ever seen before due to the […]
Are your employees snowed under? Severe weather and its impact on business
There’s no business like snow business: but even in severe weather conditions there are solutions employers can put in place for employees to keep disruption to a minimum, says the CIPD. The severe weather already affecting much of Britain and school closures affecting parts of the country do not necessarily have to mean major problems […]
Be aware of mental health in 2010, says Acas
Ed Sweeney, Acas Chair, considers the impact the recession has had on business and employees and what HR should focus on next year to avoid legal implications. 2009 has been a challenging year for businesses and employees. For many managers, this is the first time that they have encountered such challenging economic conditions. As a […]
Walk the talk with wellbeing
On National Stress Awareness Day, Rob Woollen asks if UK businesses are taking employee wellbeing seriously and considers the body of evidence suggesting that wellbeing directly affects the bottom line. Financial concerns top the list of barriers experienced by HR professionals keen to implement employee wellbeing schemes, according to a survey released this week by […]
Beat stress on National Stress Awareness Day
National Stress Awareness day is a chance for HR to show they care by helping their employees manage their stress. This year why not help your managers spot and deal with stress? Stress has become a major factor in many people's lives as the recession has increased employment and financial worries. It is reported that […]