A recent study by University of Nottingham reported that smokers are 33% more likely to miss work than non-smokers and this trend has led to smokers missing, on average, 2.7 working days more per year than non-smokers. Continue reading
Category Archives: Blog
Keep fit at work
The usual 9-5 desk job doesn’t normally give much opportunity for being active and feeling fit, this we all know too well. Sadly, with working hours and stress ever on the rise it’s only getting harder to find the time to get more than your mind working. Continue reading
What has gone wrong with the Fit Note?
XpertHR has published a survey finding that satisfaction with the Fit Note is dwindling among employers. Fit notes have been in place since April 2010. They originally got a lukewarm reception and in 2011 just under half (48%) of employers felt it had been a significant improvement in managing absence. Confidence in the scheme, according to the recent results, is now down to just 38%. Continue reading
Flexible working – what is changing?
Last week, the government announced a new plan to expand the ‘Right to Request’ flexible working patterns to all employees. Previously this was only available to parents with children under 16. The main aim of the initiative is to boost the job market and make it more inclusive to mothers and single parents. Continue reading
Do absence targets really work?
The theory is that setting absence targets improves attendance at work but is there evidence to back this? XpertHR has published figures stating that only 44% of employers in the UK set attendance targets, yet of those, 79% believe that the targets have drastically improved their experience of absence management. So why haven’t more companies joined in? Continue reading
News from Professor Dame Carol Black
Always interesting, Professor Dame Carol Black was addressing a group of HR professionals yesterday on the topics of absence, well-being and engagement. Dame Carol has been involved in researching and policy making in the sector since 2005 and a lot has happened during her time. Continue reading
CIPD 2012 Absence Survey published
Honeydew team headed to the launch event yesterday morning to hear all about this year’s absence survey results from CIPD and listen to a group of expert speakers Continue reading
Four steps to healthy attendance
Over the years we’ve learned how far reaching the issue of absence is. It doesn’t start on the day an employee phones in sick and the story doesn’t necessarily end when the employee comes back to work. Continue reading
The power of the Return To Work interview
The return to work (RTW) interview is the single most effective tool for reducing short-term absence. Managing long-term absence has its challenges and dealing with these is not, by any means, easy. Continue reading
Attendance management improves productivity
A recent absence survey by Aviva draws attention to productivity and performance. According to their survey responses, over a quarter of employers (27%) report an effect on productivity when a member of staff is ill and absent, and 22% say that it impacts the business financially. Continue reading