http://www.personneltoday.com/en-gbThu, 02 Feb 2012 13:24:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/02/02/58321/accident-reporting-changes-to-cut-burden-on-employers.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/02/02/58321/accident-reporting-changes-to-cut-burden-on-employers.html Changes to health and safety regulations on reporting accidents may relieve the burden on employers by cutting the amount of incidents that firms have to report to authorities, a legal expert has said. This week, the Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:24:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/02/01/58309/incentives-required-to-improve-employee-healthcare-benefits.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/02/01/58309/incentives-required-to-improve-employee-healthcare-benefits.html The majority of employers would like to see tax breaks introduced in order to encourage firms to invest in private medical insurance, new research argues. More than <A href="https://www.simplyhealth.co.uk/sh/pages/media-cWed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58303/common-cold-virus-increases-risk-of-road-traffic-accidents.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58303/common-cold-virus-increases-risk-of-road-traffic-accidents.html Motorists suffering from a heavy cold or flu risk a major loss of concentration when behind the wheel, putting themselves and other road users at risk, new research has suggested. A poll by insurance company <A href="httpTue, 31 Jan 2012 12:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58300/cancer-patients-unaware-that-exercise-can-aid-recovery.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58300/cancer-patients-unaware-that-exercise-can-aid-recovery.html Cancer patients are less active after treatment, despite such physical activity bringing with it significant health and recovery benefits. One patient in three admitted to being <A href="http://www.macmillan.org.uk/AboutusTue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58301/british-workers-not-as-active-as-they-should-be-suggests-study.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58301/british-workers-not-as-active-as-they-should-be-suggests-study.html In a typical week, workers spend on average five hours and 41 minutes a day sitting at their desks and seven hours sleeping each night, according to the latest research on sedentary working lifestyles. The research, lTue, 31 Jan 2012 11:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58307/small-businesses-get-access-to-occupational-health-support.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58307/small-businesses-get-access-to-occupational-health-support.html The Government has launched a new "Health for Work" sickness absence advice line that, it is hoped, will encourage smaller employers to better support workers on sick leave. The <A href=Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58308/fit-note-offers-route-into-staff-absence-discussions.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58308/fit-note-offers-route-into-staff-absence-discussions.html The fit note is providing an important "nudge" to get managers to instigate conversations with their staff to discuss the best way to help get individuals back to work, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has arguedTue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58304/government-renews-offensive-against-health-and-safety-red-tape.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/31/58304/government-renews-offensive-against-health-and-safety-red-tape.html The Government launched a major initiative in January to tackle what it termed the UK's "compensation culture" and to free small and medium-sized enterprises "from the stranglehold of health and safety red tape". Prime MiniTue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58299/department-of-health-announces-replacement-nursing-roles.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58299/department-of-health-announces-replacement-nursing-roles.html The Department of Health (DH) has scrapped the role of chief nursing officer (CNO), replacing the position with two roles: a principal adviser on public health nursing and a CNO for its new NHS Commissioning Board. ProfessMon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58302/senior-staff-fail-on-health-and-safety-duties.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58302/senior-staff-fail-on-health-and-safety-duties.html The number of directors and senior managers prosecuted for health and safety failings has rocketed in the past five years, according to unofficial figures released to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58305/online-service-to-help-meet-occupational-health-standards.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58305/online-service-to-help-meet-occupational-health-standards.html The NHS Plus occupational health network will launch a web-based clinical governance system in March 2012, designed to help OH teams raise standards. The Management of Health at Work Knowledge system (MOHAWK) will initiallMon, 30 Jan 2012 10:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58306/nhs-leaders-to-have-key-role-in-supporting-staff-wellbeing.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/30/58306/nhs-leaders-to-have-key-role-in-supporting-staff-wellbeing.html An independent panel of government advisers has recommended that the effectiveness of NHS managers and leaders in supporting the mental and physical health and wellbeing of their staff be included as a key element of their performance apprMon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/25/58285/middle-managers-under-excessive-pressure-at-work.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2012/01/25/58285/middle-managers-under-excessive-pressure-at-work.html Half (49%) of middle managers feel that they are under "excessive pressure" at work, with one-third fearing that they may lose their jobs as a result of the economic climate. This is according to the ChWed, 25 Jan 2012 13:28:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/20/58232/benefits-packages-still-a-priority-for-employers.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/20/58232/benefits-packages-still-a-priority-for-employers.html Despite the pressure on budgets caused by the downturn, more than four employers out of five are continuing to protect staff with competitive health and benefits packages, latest research has suggested. The <A href="http:Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:30:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/20/58239/government-reviews-limits-on-healthcare-workers-with-hiv.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/20/58239/government-reviews-limits-on-healthcare-workers-with-hiv.html The Government is undertaking a consultation to gauge views around relaxing the restrictions placed on the work that can be undertaken by HIV-positive healthcare workers. The move was unveiled by Chief Medical OffiTue, 20 Dec 2011 09:27:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/20/58234/changes-to-health-and-safety-law-to-be-introduced-in-2012.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/20/58234/changes-to-health-and-safety-law-to-be-introduced-in-2012.html The Government has announced that it is committed to simplifying health and safety guidance for small businesses by the summer in 2012, as well as ensuring that properly managed low-risk businesses need no longer be visited by inspectors.<Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:00:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/19/58238/remploy-to-provide-support-for-mental-health-problems.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/19/58238/remploy-to-provide-support-for-mental-health-problems.html A new government-funded "mental health in work" support service has been launched by specialist employer Remploy. The £4.8 million contract between the Department for Work and Pensions and Remploy Employment Services will Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:27:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/19/58230/lifestyle-choices-affect-risk-of-cancer.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/19/58230/lifestyle-choices-affect-risk-of-cancer.html More than 100,000 cancers - equivalent to one-third of all those diagnosed in the UK each year - are being caused by smoking, unhealthy diets, alcohol and excess weight, according to research by the charity Cancer Research UK.Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:27:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/19/58236/office-of-fair-trading-to-assess-private-healthcare-referral.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/19/58236/office-of-fair-trading-to-assess-private-healthcare-referral.html Trading standards body the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to decide by the end of March whether or not to refer the private healthcare sector to the Competition Commission to investigate its practices. The OFT said in DeceMon, 19 Dec 2011 08:27:00 GMThttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/16/58233/health-and-safety-changes-welcomed-by-industry-bodies.htmlhttp://www.personneltoday.com/Articles/2011/12/16/58233/health-and-safety-changes-welcomed-by-industry-bodies.html The response from employers and health specialists to the Löfstedt review was predominantly positive but cautious. Judith Hackitt, chair of the Health and Safety Executive, said that the "insightful" report would "go a lonFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:27:00 GMT