Wellbeing in the office: No girls allowed
To mark National Men's Health Week, which runs throughout this week, Jeff Archer explains why men-only wellbeing initiatives at work are getting the message across. It may seem like a step backwards in the fight for equality, but targeting men exclusively has become an effective new weapon in the fight to shape up the nation's workforce. With wellbeing […]
A business must manage stress or stress will manage the business
The current economic climate can mean an increasing number of employees feel unable to cope with tasks, find it difficult to manage others or feel frustrated about redundancies or reduced working days. Jo Ouston explains how to manage emotions in the workplace. A few years ago, a card on offer in the gift shops […]
Office de-stressing exercises
When suffering from stress at work, tension can accumulate in the most vulnerable areas of the body such as the upper back, shoulders, neck and head, leading to an uncomfortable range of physiological grumbles, aches and pains. While gin or even a bit of shouting can both often be effective cathartic techniques, they are not […]
Ask the expert: Alcohol policy and religion
An employer would like to develop an alcohol policy that takes into account employees who cannot drink due to religious reasons. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise. The question: We have two scenarios :- A manager may invite their team out after work to celebrate a fundraising success. We may crack open a bottle of champagne in […]
The consequences of failing in health and safety
Employers risk huge fines and even imprisonment if they fail to implement the correct health and safety duties, however the effective enforcement of this law has recently been questioned. Charles Price explains. An employer’s duties The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA 1974) sets out the basic health and safety duties of […]
Legislation update: Stress at work – ignore at your peril
A recent case has shown that the mere presence of support services is not adequate if an employer wants to avoid being held liable for stress at work. Richard White considers this case further. The leading case in the area of stress at work is Hatton v Sutherland in which the Court of […]
HR blunder of the month: Fired worker reinstated due to printer malfunction
You have probably had to repeat this HR mantra to managers and supervisors many times: Document, document, document. Here’s yet another example of what can go wrong when documentation is missing. A hearing officer has ruled that an employee from Denver, USA should get to keep his job after failing a breathalyzer test because […]
A week in HR: Is the recession the key to job satisfaction?
This week, Lucie Mitchell reports on a mass UK jobs exodus, a rise in job satisfaction, and the swine flu outbreak. The recession will cause a permanent UK jobs exodus, according to new research. A study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has revealed that 81% of the UK’s largest multinational firms are planning or […]
Colborn’s Corner: Swine flu – a media frenzy
The media has been in a frenzy over swine flu and we are all being subjected to a government communication plan that includes telling us what to do when we sneeze. But what does it all mean at work? Quentin Colborn examines what HR professionals should be doing about swine flu. Recently, if you say that you […]
How to manage sickness absence in a downturn
Paul Avis highlights the importance of effective absence management during a downturn to ensure an expedient resolution and to protect the employer from litigation. Staff absence seriously affects the workplace as not only does it cost businesses £666 per year, per employee (CIPD Absence Management Survey 2009), it also puts pressure on those colleagues still […]
Health, work and director leadership
Geraint Day, from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), comments on HSE survey findings regarding director leadership on health and safety, including practices and influences to ensure that health and safety is addressed at board level. Workplace health is on the agenda of most boards of directors in UK organisations that employ five or more […]
Case study: Health and wellbeing at First ScotRail
The health and wellbeing programme at First ScotRail demonstrates commitment to staff and recognises the relationship between staff wellbeing and customer service levels. Becky Midgley talks to its occupational health advisor to find out more about the company's wellbeing initiatives. First ScotRail is the largest regional train operating […]
Wellbeing at work gets personal
When it comes to corporate wellbeing programmes, a discount at the local gym or a regular chair massage might be what springs to mind, but all that is changing. Jeff Archer explains. The 21st century face of wellness is a smarter one and recent months have seen a shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to a […]
Ask the wellness experts: A Q&A with Bupa
When it comes to engaging employees, looking after their health is the ultimate way to prove you care about their wellbeing. Enabling them to access high quality healthcare and preventative medicine from a top quality source like Bupa says something about how you treat your employees – and you can be sure they will become […]
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 […]