HR tip: Help for redundant employees
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: "We have had to make a few people redundant because we are short of orders and therefore cash. Also, we are unable to extend our overdraft. In these limited circumstances is there […]
HR tip: Withholding statutory sick pay
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: "We strongly suspect the sickness absence claims of one of our workers. Are we entitled, therefore, to withhold SSP?" HR tip: You need to discuss the matter with the employee and investigate […]
Do you need a dose of vitality?
We all want to feel on top of our game – but how can we achieve it? Anthony Landale looks at the energies that people need to bring to their work and how HR professionals can prompt people to get back in touch with their vitality. There's a new word […]
Should HR managers care about employee health?
The fourth article in her series exploring the findings of the five components of the Adecco Institute's 'Demographic Fitness Survey', [PDF] sees Donna Murphy discussing how much involvement HR professionals should have in health management at work. Until now, managing an employee's personal health has been the concern of the employee and their health advisors, […]
How healthy staff can lead to a healthy bottom line
It really is quite simple – the less healthy your employees, the more they will be absent, and the more that will impact on your bottom line. So what can you do about it? Jeff Archer has a few suggestions. When you walk into an office you've never visited before, you know within minutes what […]
HR tip: Time off for redundant employees
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:"We have made some employees redundant and they are now demanding that we let them have time off to seek other work. How do we and they stand?" HR tip:Employees who have two […]
Workplace wellness: Healthy staff, healthy business
Ensuring your staff are healthy and well is key to employee morale and productivity, as well as helping to tackle absenteeism. Liggy Webb explains how to successfully implement workplace wellness strategies in your organisation. The vast majority of the population spends more conscious hours in the workplace than anywhere else. No wonder that there […]
HR tip: Alcohol on site
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:"Can we impose a complete alcohol ban across our company if, from time-to-time, our directors entertain important customers with wine at lunch?" HR tip:You may apply whatever restrictions you like provided you are […]
HR tip: Pre-employment medicals
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:"We give all new employees a medical before confirming their employment, but have heard that this is unsafe. Is there a problem?" HR tip:This suggests that, were employees found to be unfit, they […]
HR tip: Controlling absence
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: "How does one control absence?" HR Tip:This is too big an issue to be covered satisfactorily in a short answer, but essentially you need to make people want to come to work […]
HR tip: Phoning in sick
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:"Who is the best person for a sick employee to phone in to on the first day of absence?" HR Tip:The immediate manager or supervisor would seem to be the best person since […]
HR tip: Drunk employee
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 turned up for work one afternoon drunk. He was sent home. Next day, when we remonstrated with him, he insisted that he was not drunk though had popped into the […]
HR tip: Personality problem
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: "One of our supervisors has a dreadful personality for which he has been warned. Can we dismiss him?" HR Tip:You cannot dismiss someone just because you do not like their personality. If […]
HR Tip: The right to privacy for sick employees
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: "If we visit a sick employee in his home are we in breach of his right to privacy provided by the Human Rights Act?" HR Tip: You would be in breach of good […]
HR Tip: Persistent 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 small hardcore of our employees is absent regularly on Mondays, Fridays and the days before and after holidays. However they always have a plausible reason, usually sickness, which we are unable […]
Smoking away your salary. By Sarah Fletcher
Being practically perfect, a bit like Mary Poppins, I don't smoke. However, I lovingly accept my smoker friends. In fact, I don't even throw rubbish at them in the street. Unfortunately the Italian Association of Personnel Managers doesn't feel so benevolent and has asked its members to consider slashing smokers' salaries for their cigarette breaks. […]
Stress management: The facts
The impact of stressed employees upon motivation, productivity and cost makes it an issue that employers must address with urgency. In a new column for HR Zone Annie Lawler, director of Breathing Space for Business and member of HR Zone, explains the issues underlying stress and how to manage it. Welcome to this, the first […]
Chasing sickness: Getting the return to work interview right
As businesses try to combat the damaging effects of rising rates of employee absenteeism, return to work interviews are taking a prominent place in the process. Training consultant Nik Kellingley explains how to make this work for your organisation. Does the rising tide of absenteeism threaten to wash away the humble British business? Probably not, […]
Avian Flu: Protecting Against a Pandemic
Should businesses be preparing to protect themselves against the possibilities of a bird flu pandemic? What can be done to avoid disruption to the business? Should employers be accommodating to employees concerned about an outbreak, how seriously should they take requests to work from home? Can anything be learned from the 9/11 attack in New […]
Sickness absence and disability: Time for new thinking?
Paul Avis questions the way that sickness, absence and disability management is being de-medicalised and asks what this means for traditional and more innovative Occupational Health programmes. To start this article I will attempt to appease the clinicians in the membership. I will never run a sickness absence and disability management programme without routine referral […]
