Employers are preparing for swine flu absence rates of up to 27% - more than double the government's latest prediction about the number of people expected to go off sick with the virus. Big organisations including Sainsbury's and the BBC have put in  More...
09 September 2009 11:31

Employers should brace themselves for swine flu staff absence rates of up to 50% for periods of between two and four weeks over the coming months, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned. The recommendation comes as l  More...
07 September 2009 08:00

Employers have urged the government not to extend self-certification sick leave for those with swine flu to more than 10 days, Personnel Today has learned. At a recent meeting of the Business Advisory Network for Flu, set up to consider how to de  More...
04 September 2009 15:23

A member of staff has been off sick for several weeks but I overheard a conversation that suggested she has just been to a concert with a colleague. I'd like to hire an investigator to see if she telling the truth. Is that legal and how would it work?   More...
02 September 2009 12:26

HR news and analysis including: How a significant increase in vacancies within the NHS has prompted accusations of poor workforce management What employers should be doing during Ramadan, and how the Muslim religious festival serves as a timel  More...
21 August 2009 15:13

A number of NHS workers are falling foul to ‘presenteeism’ – working when they feel unwell – which could significantly affect the level of sickness absence and labour productivity across the health service, experts have warned. An interim repor  More...
20 August 2009 09:20

HR news and analysis including: Younger workers more likely to be off sick with swine flu Union reactions to proposed changes to civil service redundancy payments Presenter Tara Craig is joined by Kat Baker and Rob Moss. Edited b  More...
07 August 2009 16:06

Young people took three times as many sick days off with flu in July compared to older workers, adding weight to the NHS theory that over-60s may have partial resistance to the swine flu virus, Personnel Today has learned. Data captured by   More...
05 August 2009 12:13

The ability of employers to manage absence is being hampered by ineffective record-keeping systems, according to research by Occupational Health 's sister publication Employment Review . A poll of 195 employers, with a combined workforce of almost  More...
03 August 2009 13:29

HR news and analysis, including: Latest developments in the agency workers debate The fight for legal representation at disciplinary meetings Employees’ preferences for small businesses.  Presenter Tara Craig is joined by Louisa Pe  More...
31 July 2009 15:10

Q Do employees have the right to be told if a colleague has swine flu, or flu symptoms? Employees do not have the right to be advised if a colleague has swine flu or its symptoms. However, given the highly contagious nature of swine flu, it may be  More...
31 July 2009 06:01

Q Can an employer insist that someone with swine flu symptoms comes to work? An employer will be in breach of its common law and statutory duties to ensure the health and safety of its employees and to provide a safe place and system of work by in  More...
30 July 2009 14:28

Q If an employee has a child at a nursery that is closed due to swine flu, must the employee be given time off if he or she cannot arrange childcare? Employees have a statutory right to a reasonable period of unpaid time off to care for dependants  More...
29 July 2009 11:07

Q If an employee has flu symptoms, can the employer insist that he or she is tested for swine flu? Employers cannot insist that their employees are tested for swine flu. Testing an employee without his or her agreement would constitute a criminal   More...
28 July 2009 16:51

Q If an employee has flu symptoms, or has been in contact with someone with swine flu, can he or she be instructed not to come to work? Employers are under a duty to ensure the health and safety of all their employees and to provide a safe place a  More...
27 July 2009 14:09

Sickness absence among midwives caused by the swine flu virus could limit choice in maternity care, hospital trusts have warned. Pregnant women could be told not to plan for home births or Caesarean sections that are not medically required if there   More...
27 July 2009 10:55

A drop in private sector sickness absence, which 20% of employers put down to fears over job security, has further widened the gap between private and public sector absence levels, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development's (CIPD  More...
20 July 2009 00:01

Some businesses could be unable to run if they have not developed robust contingency plans to deal with swine flu, the CIPD has warned. The alert comes after the Chartered Management Institute revealed that 38% of organisations have no continuity pl  More...
13 July 2009 16:07

HR news and analysis including: Swine flu - workers allowed up to 2 weeks off Blacklisting in the construction industry. Presenter Tara Craig is joined by Louisa Peacock and John Charlton. Edited by Tara Craig.  Listen&n  More...
10 July 2009 17:13

The government admits it can no longer contain swine flu, and has moved to the treatment phase, which will concentrate on managing the outbreak. The full impact on employers is yet to be felt in the UK, with many anticipating that the autumn will   More...
09 July 2009 17:35