Much advice on absence management mentions 'creating a positive working atmosphere' - but then skips what this means to focus on the process of absence management - measurement, return to work interviews, restricting sick pay etc. What managers may not   More...
15 February 2010 15:07

HR news and analysis including: Comment on the new fit note from Dame Carol Black and shadow welfare reform minister David Freud The latest developments in the default retirement age saga. Presenter Tara Craig is joined by Mike Berry.    More...
12 February 2010 16:00

HR news and analysis including: The latest developments in the case of Network Rail HR director Peter Bennett, who is facing accusations of discrimination The new fit-note strategy and whether the HR community expects it to work The threat  More...
05 February 2010 14:43

As the day of the working year on which the highest number of employees are likely to call in sick, the first Monday in February has been given the dubious title of National Sickie Day. Of course, in winter colds and flu are circulating and it is o  More...
01 February 2010 14:17

The new fit note will not give doctors the option to deem a patient “fit for work”, only whether they may be fit for some work, it has emerged. Under the new system, due to come into force this April, GPs will replace the hand-written sick note with  More...
29 January 2010 17:59

HR news and analysis including: The best ways to manage sickness absence as the UK marks ‘National Sickie Day’ on 1 February The collapse of the latest bid to scrap enforced retirement at 65. Presenter Tara Craig is joined by Kat Baker an  More...
29 January 2010 16:11

SportsDirect.com has selected workforce management solution, Kronos for Retail, to optimise the deployment of 17,000 employees in over 400 stores in the UK and Belgium. The implementation of Kronos will give SportsDirect.com an integrated solution  More...
22 January 2010 10:27

Commuters faced continuing transport disruption this morning after a renewed cold snap brought more snow chaos to the UK's rail routes and roads. A lack of grit, potholes caused by ice and freezing temperatures created yet more hazardous driving con  More...
13 January 2010 10:24

Employers have been warned to expect another week of high absence rates as the snow and extreme weather conditions cause millions to be house-bound. Staff absences hit 15% at the peak of the cold snap last week, with an estimated 4.3m people off w  More...
12 January 2010 13:58

The current cold snap looks set to last a little longer. As public transport struggles to cope, road conditions worsen and schools remain closed, employers are counting the cost of lost time, order and opportunities as employees arrive late for work, or not at all. So how can employers mitigate the impact of this inclement weather? Anna MacGregor, senior solicitor at Brodies LLP, offers some advice.  More...
11 January 2010 17:11

HR news and views including: The HR and employment law implications of extreme weather: Health and safety implications Absent employees’ rights to pay Working conditions Dealing with staff with emergency childcare issues.  Pr  More...
08 January 2010 16:22

In his letter 'Met Police right to address health issues for officers' ( Personnel Today , 1 December 2009), John Holden of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health chants the mantra adopted by all of his ilk that "Work-related ill health is a   More...
07 January 2010 11:55

Firms have been urged not to discipline staff if they failed to make it to work due to the harsh winter weather. David Price, of employment law firm Peninsula, said employers should be a little more flexible, adding that bosses may wish to look at   More...
07 January 2010 08:54

Staff absence rates due to the hazardous weather conditions are thought to be as high as 14% of the UK workforce, higher than have ever been seen before, according to absence management experts. Heavy snow has caused chaos across the country today   More...
06 January 2010 14:25

Employers must be flexible during the harsh weather conditions and should not force staff to "risk life and limb" getting to work, business groups have warned. As the cold snap continues, with up to 40cm of snow forecast overnight for some parts of   More...
05 January 2010 15:01

HR news and analysis including: a look back at the big stories of 2009 – swine flu and bonuses – and predictions of what 2010 will mean for the HR community. Presenter Tara Craig is joined by Louisa Peacock and Rob Moss. Edited and produced by T  More...
18 December 2009 17:43

Heavy snowfall could trigger 10% of the workforce to stay at home, costing the UK economy £320m per day. Employees are already beginning to ring in sick ahead of predicted snow today (Friday), according to absence management firm FirstCare. Fi  More...
18 December 2009 09:40

Pressure is building to give workers paid leave to care for sick and infirm relatives but how long should it last and who should foot the bill? Guy Sheppard and Louisa Peacock report.   More...
15 December 2009 15:24

FirstCare , the UK’s leading absence management specialists, has acquired Active Health Partners (AHP) increasing the employees it services by 80% and taking a dominant position in the market. The increased volume of real time absence management data  More...
12 November 2009 13:23

Small businesses and local partnerships across the UK will have the chance to bid for a share of millions of pounds over the next two years to fund innovative projects to improve the health and welfare of their workers, the Department for W  More...
23 October 2009 08:54