In this final absence-related blog, I’m going to look at making the most of Occupational Health referrals and implementing reasonable adjustments. Occupational Health Sometimes it might seem that Occupational Health is a pointless and expensive exercise. But an Occupational Health report is only as good as the referral you make. The purpose of Occupational Health…

This episode follows on from ‘Managing persistent short-term absences’ and will focus on managing staff on long-term sickness leave. First of all, what constitutes a “long-term” absence? Four weeks. It’s that simple. Any absence lasting four or more calendar weeks is deemed to be “long-term”. Why is managing long-term absence any different?  Essentially, it doesn’t…

We’ve all been there. Everything’s going swimmingly and then a member of staff goes off sick. Work needs reallocating, cover needs arranging, you have a situation to manage. How long will they be off? How many times has this employee been off so far If the answer to the first question is “more than a…

A summary of the HR and H&S updates issued in August 2018. HR Updates Amber alerts Dismissing just prior to 2 years’ service Can employees with childcare commitments ignore designated start times? H&S updates No H&S updates

On 25 May 2018, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force and many of you will be breathing a sigh of relief that you got things done in time. If you didn’t, don’t panic as it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be pursued by the Information Commissioner.  The important thing is to be…

(Time to read: 10 minutes) Back in the day, a bank holiday was a nationally recognised day off. Banks wouldn’t open, everyone chilled out and the country stopped for a breather. Wow, wouldn’t that be nice today! But in reality, not all employers paid their staff for bank holiday time off and some staff didn’t…

A single GP has earned more than £700,000 and four more have annual earnings from the NHS of at least £400,000, it was revealed today. The doctors are thought to be senior partners in large group practices or GP federations. The figures were obtained by The Times from the NHS Business Services Authority and represent…