People off work sick will get the support they need to get back to work earlier, as new guidance is launched this week.
The introduction of the fit note, in place of the traditional sick note, is set to cut the cost of sick leave for employers. It is expected to benefit the British economy by [...]

With snow now covering much of the UK and the freezing temperatures set to continue until mid-January, according to the Met Office, HR staff could have an absence management problem on their hands.
As a result, one sector commentator has said some people would “obviously” use the snow as an excuse to stay at home and [...]

More than a third of all workplace absenteeism in the UK occurs on a Monday, new research has revealed – which could present HR departments with an absence management dilemma.
The study by Mercer has revealed that the first day of the working week is the one most likely to see people phoning in sick.
Further findings [...]

Workplaces in the UK are being encouraged to make sure their approach to health and safety is flexible when looking to manage staff who may have underlying health conditions.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) urged such action after it revealed that some employees may be being excluded from the workplace when health issues [...]

East Sussex County Council has introduced a new absence management service which commences today (October 1st).
The council has employed the services of FirstCare to provide the day one absence management initiative led by nurses, which will cover some 3,000 members of staff, including those in the departments of children’s services, chief executive and adult social [...]

An increasing number of employers are using coaching for their training and development, a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows.
The finding comes despite tighter training budgets and was not expected because of the current economic climate, the organisation claims.
The majority of coaching is for leadership development and performance management, therefore [...]

A recent recommendation that the NHS should cut its workforce by ten per cent – which could result in an increase in redundancies – has been branded “political suicide” by one sector commentator.
The recommendations were made in a recent McKinsey report, however, the Department of Health said that the government does not believe that cutting [...]

Maintaining a healthy workforce is a more pressing issue to many UK small businesses than combating environmental waste, a new report has found.
The study, commissioned by the UK200 group for the Forum of Private Business, revealed that although 80 per cent of such firms believed protecting the environment was a priority, only around a quarter [...]

Sickness among employees in the workplace may escalate if plans to replace the traditional ’sick note’ with a well note’ are given the go-ahead, it has been suggested.
Thompsons Solicitors claims that the proposals from the Department for Work and Pensions could see employees returning to work while not in a fit state, following a period [...]

A degree of common sense is needed from employers in order to maintain health at work during the current heat wave, it has been suggested.
According to a spokesperson from the Institute For Employment Studies (IES), to ensure people are working efficiently and effectively, they need to be comfortable within the bounds of health and safety.
"If [...]