Stress Awareness Month: Tackling Work-Related Stress
April marks Stress Awareness Month, and the Health and Safety Executive are encouraging employers to actively manage work-related stress and mental health issues. Impact of Work-Related Stress on Workforce Health During the recent announcement of the HSE’s annual statistics in November 2023, it was reported that out of 35.2 million working days lost in 2022/23, […]
Launch of the ‘keep thriving’ campaign
The British Safety Council has launched its ‘Keep Thriving’ Campaign aimed at improving employee wellbeing. This initiative encourages employers to proactively engage in enhancing their workplace environments. Objectives of the Keep Thriving Campaign As part of the ‘Keep Thriving’ campaign, the British Safety Council is asking employers to: Appoint an Executive Director responsible for wellbeing, […]
Is there a sick note culture in the UK?
On Friday 19 April, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced intentions to tackle, what he believes, to be a sick note culture in the UK. But is this an accurate reflection? The reality of sickness absence It is a topic of debate reflecting attitudes towards the legitimacy of sickness absence, but it shouldn’t be […]
Managing stress in the workplace
We conducted our annual SME Business Survey at the end of 2023 and asked what the most important aspects of Health and Safety over the next 12 months would be. Mental health came out top, with 68% of SME business leaders stating that mental health would be their biggest health and safety challenge in 2024, […]
How to Manage the Redundancy Process
The UK is still very much in a cost of living crisis. Unfortunately, due to businesses struggling and costs rapidly increasing, it is inevitable that many will need to make redundancies and reduce the size of their workforce, to survive these challenging times. Make your business case It is important to establish first of all […]
Could a four-day working week be successful?
In June 2022, the world’s largest trial of a 4-day working week began with over 60 organisations worldwide taking part, involving around 3,000 UK employees. Its purpose was to determine whether working four days a week instead of the traditional five improved employee wellbeing and productivity. Firms taking part included office-based software developers, housing, food […]
Mental health set to be a major challenge for 85% of SMEs
We ran our annual SME Business Survey back in November and when asked what the most important aspects of Health and Safety over the next 12 months, mental health came out top. Of those surveyed, 85% of SME business leaders stated that mental health will be their biggest health and safety challenge in 2023, an […]
New mental health and wellbeing plan
In April, the government opened a consultation seeking views on what could be done to improve everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. Acas set out its response to the call for evidence, which dealt with the question “do you have ideas for how employers can support and protect the mental health of their employees”. Some of […]
Deadline Announced for Care Workers to be Vaccinated
From 11 November 2021, all care home workers will be required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, unless they are exempt under the regulations. The new guidance covers anyone entering to undertake care work. Workers must have received the full course of the vaccination. The vaccine offers the best protection against the virus for staff […]
How will COVID-19 change the role of HR?
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced almost every UK business to immediately develop, adapt and improve their work policies and procedures. While HR may have been at the forefront of employers’ response to the COVID-19 crisis, the role of HR teams has had to change dramatically to ensure businesses could adapt and improve their processes effectively […]
Managing personal relationships at work
We all want our employees to get along, but what happens when close working friendships develop into full-blown personal relationships? Strong working relationships can result in loyalty, determination to pull together and succeed, and increased productivity. Personal relationships are great when they are going well. When they go wrong, things can get complicated and the relationship […]
Deloitte announces a 16-week family leave package for staff
Deloitte has announced a family leave program, which comes into effect immediately, and aims to support staff who have care responsibilities – whether that is looking after a new baby, or caring for an elderly parent during the later stages of their life. Both male and female members of staff will be entitled to anything […]
Working when ill – Hillary Clinton
There are many issues surrounding taking sick days away from work. Recently, Hillary Clinton cancelled a trip to California which has highlighted that often people work when they are sick. Hillary Clinton, who is 68-years old had to leave a 9/11 memorial service early after reportedly overheating, and recent reports have suggested that she may […]
What Your Employees Do Before Breakfast
Over three-quarters of UK employees spend their mornings completing chores before going to work, a survey has found. CV-Library asked over 2,000 workers how they spend their time in the mornings and the results suggest that we are a pretty busy bunch. A staggering 77.2% of respondents said that they need to complete a multitude […]
Unique Employee Benefits
When job hunting, what first attracts people to a company? Salary is likely to be the first thing. But job hunters are now taking more notice of what potential employers are offering besides the usual pay rates. Employers have begun to recognise this and started to put together packages, offering their staff increasingly imaginative employee […]
Women Aiming for Quicker Career Success
Women want to achieve career success faster than men, according to a study by recruitment agency Reed. 48% of women are aiming to reach their career goal by the age of 40. Over three out of five men stated that they were happy to wait until after that age to hit their career targets. Further to […]
Blue Monday in the Workplace
Whether a touch of the blues or something more serious, January can be hard on your workforce. ‘Blue Monday’, the so-called most depressing day of the year, is coming up next week. This is the day where the weather, personal debt, and the time since the Christmas holidays all combine into an amalgamation of disappointment […]
Restaurant Cuts Hours to Improve Quality of Life
An award-winning restaurant has reduced its opening hours in a bid to improve staff quality of life. Hibiscus, a two Michelin-starred establishment run by chef Claude Bosi, has reduced its lunch services from five days to three days a week. Lunch now runs from Thursday to Saturday whilst dinner runs from Tuesday to Saturday, giving staff […]
UK Workers Drinking Midweek Due to Stress
Over 50% of British employees are drinking midweek to cope with the stress of life, research by vouchercloud.com has found. The study by the leading discount website also found that almost a quarter (24%) of those who admitted to drinking during the week have called in sick to work on at least one occasion due […]
Living Wage Foundation Announces New Rates
The Living Wage Foundation has announced the voluntary Living Wage rates for the next twelve months. For all areas of the UK outside of London the rate has increased from £7.85 to £8.25 per hour. The London Living Wage, which reflects the higher price of living in the capital, has risen from £9.15 to £9.40. […]