Managing long term sickness absence
Following a fair procedure when managing sickness absence When you are managing long-term sickness absence at what point do you have to make the decision that the employee is potentially unfit to return? You have to remember that if someone has been off sick for a long time they are deemed to be incapable to […]
Seven out of 10 UK workers go to work even when sick
Workers in the UK believe their employers value the company’s performance ahead of the health and wellbeing of the workforce.Research has found that millions of employees still go to work despite being ill, with workers worrying about taking time off sick because of heavy workloads and employers’ expectations. The survey by insurance company, Aviva, […]
Think tank recommends changes to sick pay
A new think tank report suggests statutory sick pay should increase from 28 weeks to 52 weeks. In a bid to cut the sickness benefit bill from £23 billion, the report also recommends employees be allowed to take ‘wellbeing days’ off work, at very short notice. Tackling the sickness bill The report, by the Institute […]
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 […]
Statutory Maternity and Sick Pay Rates Frozen for 2016
Following on from the Autumn Budget, the Government has announced that there will be no increase to a variety of statutory pay rates in 2016. The affected statutory rates include maternity and paternity pay, shared parental pay, adoption pay and sick pay. A complete list of the Government’s statutory pay rates for 2016 can be […]
Dangers of Working Holidays
The Christmas period means a seasonal slowdown in some industries, but for many December is the busiest and most stressful month of the year. If it’s not an increase in demand as people rush to get things done before Christmas itself, it’s the need to get everything signed off and finished before the end of […]
True Cost of Presenteeism Revealed
Sickness absence and illness costs a month of productivity per employee, research has revealed. This is at an estimated cost of £57 billion a year to UK businesses. Workplace health initiative Britain’s Healthiest Company (BHC) surveyed more than 32,500 employees for the research. The aim of the study was to examine the true impact of […]
Fit for Work Service Launched
Employers across England and Wales are now able to refer employees on long-term sick leave to a new support service called Fit for Work. According to figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), around 870,000 employees are absent from work for longer than four weeks due to sickness. Fit for Work gives […]
Employees Still Fear Mental Health Stigma
Employees are more likely to lie about the reason for an absence if the cause is related to mental health, according to new research. Research by healthcare provider AXA has revealed that 77% of employees would tell their employer the truth if their absence was due to their physical health. However less than two in […]
‘Middle-Aged’ Employees Feeling the Pressure
Recent research by AXA PPP healthcare has shown that employees in the 30-49 age bracket struggle more with the demands of work than employees from any other age group. One of the headline findings from the research relates to the amount of sickness absence taken, with employees between the ages of 30-49 averaging 2.3 sick […]
