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 […]
Coping with cancer at work
The HR department of a large employer will see more new cancer diagnoses in a year than a GP. To address this, Macmillan has launched a pilot scheme with Nationwide and Ford to provide information and evidence on current practices and issues within the workplace. Dealing with cancer is hard not only for the person […]
FAQ: Long-term sickness absence
Dealing with long-term sickness can be daunting. We present everything you wanted to know about dealing with long-term sickness absence but were afraid to ask, from legal expert Rayner Jones. Coping with staff sickness absence can be a major headache for employers. Dismissal is always a last resort. But, sometimes, it is the only option […]
Protect your staff from swine flu – or risk being sued
Employers who are not seen to be adequately protecting staff from swine flu could be sued by angry employees, says Gary Tait, who advises on how you can protect both employees and the business. Being sued by an employee is a nightmare scenario for an HR team, but one which could possibly come true if […]
HR tip: Regular absenteeism
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: A couple of our employees quite regularly are absent on Fridays and Mondays, claiming minor illnesses. One likes to spend time in his caravan and the other visits her mother miles away […]
Does the Pereda ruling make you feel ill?
Alison Norris, an HR expert with Employment Law Specialists & Health and Safety Advisors mhl Support, suggests a remedy – and indulges in a little bird watching… In September we had (yet) another decision from Europe that shook us to the core. The ruling related to one Francesco Pereda, a council worker from Madrid, and […]
Sick or on holiday? Is it up to the employee now?
The ECJ in Pereda v Madrid Movilidad SA has held that if a worker becomes sick during a period of annual leave, they are entitled to delay their holiday and carry their annual leave forward. What does this mean for employers in terms of managing their employees and ensuring this right isn’t abused? The facts […]
Ask the expert: Long-term absence during probation
An employee has been on long-term sick leave for most of her probation period. Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise on the risks of dismissing her. The question We have an employee who started work with us in a management position. Her references were not great but we decided we would give her a […]
The key to creating a great place to work
Long hours, high workloads, out-of-date leadership style and cultures do little to retain staff. Flexibility and good leadership is key to a happy workforce, says Lynne Copp. In the UK we work 46% longer hours than our European neighbours and are 27% less productive. Long hours and high workloads do not create successful businesses […]
How to prevent stress in the workplace
The prevention of stress at work is a big problem in search of a big solution, yet is astonishingly easy to achieve, says Derek Mowbray. Stress is at the wrong end of the pressure-strain-stress continuum. Those who suffer from it badly may also suffer some of the most serious physical health problems […]
Workplace wellbeing: Alternative rules of engagement
Jeff Archer explains how wellbeing initiatives can be used in a variety of ways across all levels of a business to engage and motivate the whole workforce. When you’ve exhausted traditional methods of engaging staff, and employees have become immune to all the latest exciting initiatives you’ve introduced to help raise performance, how can you inject […]
HR tip: Children at work on weekends
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: Some of our employees come in on Saturdays to catch up with their work and I have noticed that some of them bring their children with them. I have taken up this […]
Managing absence: The critical role of technology
As the full scale of the absence problem becomes apparent in the UK, more and more organisations are looking to technology to help them tackle it cost-effectively, says Chris Berry. What happens when your employees are sick? Are they expected to call their line manager who should then record and monitor the absence? Do they […]
Swine flu: Top tips for employers
Amid warnings that employers who fail to protect their staff adequately from swine flu could face legal action, solicitor Rebecca Lake outlines what you need to know to prepare for and deal with swine flu in the workplace. Swine flu, also referred to as influenza A(H1N1), is becoming a regular feature across newspapers, television […]
Absenteeism rises as swine flu takes hold
Staff absenteeism due to coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms is 66% higher than for the same period last year. The news came as ministers warned that swine flu cases could soon hit 100,000 a day by the end of next month, and a 19-year-old became the fourth victim of the outbreak. The last week in […]
HR tip: Challenging doctor’s fit note
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: An employee has returned to work following a period of sickness absence, with a doctor’s certificate saying that he is now fit for work. However we have our doubts. Can we challenge […]
Abercrombie & Fitch accused of ‘lookism’
US clothing firm Abercrombie & Fitch is being taken to an employment tribunal after a sales assistant claimed that she was made to work in the stockroom because her prosthetic arm did not fit the shop’s image. Riam Dean, a 22-year-old law student, is suing for disability discrimination and seeking up to £20,000 in damages […]
Summer holidays: A source of stress?
Many employees have to work significantly harder before leaving for, and returning from, their summer holiday. Melodie Gilbert outlines the measures employers can take to limit this stress. It’s that time of year when employees’ minds begin to turn to sun-drenched beaches and time out from their everyday jobs. We all look forward to a break […]
The Stringer case: Much ado about nothing?
The long-awaited House of Lords decision on the Stringer v HMRC case was issued on 10 June 2009. However the judgment did not deliver the expected outcome on long-term sickness and statutory annual leave. Pam Loch considers the case further. The background The House of Lords decision in Stringer and others (which includes Ainsworth) […]
Sick to fit: The optimistic angle to employee sickness
Simon Collingridge and Rachel Watkins provide an update and explanation on the government’s ‘fit note’ initiative, as well as clearing up the confusion between statutory and company sick pay. The practice of an employee providing their employer with a sick note has been in place since 1948. The employer’s policy will usually explain to the employee when […]