Sickness absence
Managing sickness absence is a key issue for employers. Employee absence is a significant cost to the majority of businesses in the UK.
In addition to the direct costs of employee absence (paying sick pay and paying someone else to perform the absent employee’s work), high levels of absence can demotivate those employees who have to take on the absent employee’s work, cause all-round disruption to productivity and adversely affect an employer’s continuity of service to its clients.
Average employee worked four days while unwell last year
The average employee worked for more than four days when they were genuinely ill last year, while more than half...
Toolkit helps employers tackle alcohol, tobacco and drug misuse
Business in the Community (BITC) and Public Health England have published a toolkit to help employers support their staff in...
Only minority of employers tackling presenteeism, warns CIPD, despite tripling of cases
“Presenteeism” has more than tripled since 2010, hitting what is believed to be a record high, yet only a minority...
A quarter of older workers consider leaving because of their health
A quarter of people aged 55 or over with a health condition are considering leaving work, suggesting that employers are...
One in 10 staff avoid workplace toilets due to cleanliness concerns
One in 10 employees would avoid using the toilet in their workplace because of concerns about hygiene, according to the...
Three common misconceptions about sick pay
With recent figures showing that many employees have little idea of their sick pay entitlements, Leon Deakin from Coffin Mew...
Top 10 HR questions January 2018: TUPE consultations
Employees transferring to a new employer in a TUPE situation have the right to be consulted, but the rules on...
Few employees aware of statutory sick pay entitlement
Only 4% of employees know how much statutory sick pay they are entitled to, according to a health insurer, leaving...
Staff lose 30 days a year due to sickness absence and ‘presenteeism’
Employees lose an average of 30.4 working days a year due to sickness absence and underperformance at work due to...
Blue Monday: Prioritise mental health support to reduce absence
On “Blue Monday”, employers have been reminded to make workers’ mental health a priority in order to reduce absenteeism.
Absence...
Top 10 HR questions December 2017: Workers’ rights post-Brexit
December saw the announcement of an agreement between the UK and the EU on citizens’ rights following Brexit. Employers are...
Six important employment law cases in 2017
The decision by the Supreme Court that the employment tribunal fees system is unlawful may be one of the most...
Payment for leave not taken carries over, says ECJ legal advice
If an employer does not provide a worker with paid leave, that worker’s right to it carries over until they...
Top 10 HR questions May 2017: Some other substantial reason
Perhaps the general election means that the collective HR consciousness has its mind elsewhere, or maybe it’s the effect of...
Short-term sickness absence policy: a 15-step guide for HR
Putting together a short-term sickness absence policy can be one of the most daunting tasks an HR professional can face....
