Trends in employee assistance programmes

We aspire to make employees feel better about their employers, and over the course of the year, in our role as HR Most Influential Awards sponsor will be writing a series of articles about this from a...

Focus on ‘resilience’ to improve wellbeing, says Shell's health chief

Organisations should focus on improving resilience rather than managing stress if they want to improve workplace wellbeing and drive business performance, Shell’s VP of health Alistair Fraser said...

Barclays compliance chief resigns due to stress

Former head of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Barclays' head of compliance Hector Sants has announced he will leave the bank just a month after taking sick leave for stress.

Almost 5 million workers sick due to stress last year

Almost 5 million workers, one in six UK employees, have called in sick due to stress in the last year, according to research from life insurance and pensions provider Friends Life.

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Action points for employers when addressing wellbeing of employees

The Average Sickness report from LV is effectively saying that the average sick days of UK workers represents 2-3% of their working lives (assuming a 45 year working life).

Employers should do more to understand the needs of staff with cancer, says Maggie’s survey

One in five people with cancer feel their employer could do more to understand their needs and circumstances, according to a report published by Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre and insurer Unum.

Personal health crisis looming in global banking, says study

Fears of unemployment, rising pressure and psychological abuse are just some of the causes of a "personal health crisis" facing the global banking sector, a new report has found.

Employers change working patterns as absence levels rise, CIPD study finds

Absence rates in the private and public sector have increased over the past year, according to a survey published today by Simplyhealth and the CIPD.

Managing absence: What can employers do to help drive down sickness rates

According to accountancy firm PwC, sick days are costing UK employers around £29 billion a year, with it now accounting for nearly 90% of a company’s absence bill.

Political parties urged to help workers with long-term conditions

Professor Stephen Bevan, Fit for Work coalition chair, has called on political parties to commit to policies that integrate health and work outcomes for people with long-term conditions.

The rise of the stress industry

We see constant reminders in both national and HR press that work-related stress is on the up, having outstripped musculoskeletal disorders as the single biggest reason for long-term sickness absence....

Sick leave costs UK employers £29 billion a year, says PwC

Sick days are costing UK employers about £29 billion a year as British workers take up to four times as many days off than rival economies, according to research from accountancy firm PwC.