Workplace sickness

Employers and occupational health therapists must play a key role in ensuring that the older working age population is empowered to work later by implementing workplace interventions and promoting work ability, new research says.

Actuarial consultancy Punter Southall has found evidence that HR departments are sitting on huge data inaccuracies that leaving staff un-insured, potentially meaning their companies are unknowingly holding millions of pounds worth of self-insured liabilities....

Stress had a noticeable impact on businesses in 2012, according to nearly half (42%) of senior managers of SMEs, Zurich has found.

A fifth of workers who experienced problems with stress in 2012 were too afraid or embarrassed to ask for help, Canada Life has said.

The Trade Union Congress has recognised the importance of employee health and wellbeing programmes in reducing absence and boosting productivity.

Positive working relationships in the workplace are the most fulfilling part of a job, according to a Samaritans and Simplyhealth survey.

Legal & General has launched a new benefit, ‘Healthy Living', which will enable employers to see trends in their employees' health, as employees engage with it.

The government has pledged to form a new state-funded service which will carry out an independent assessment of employees after four weeks of sickness absence.

People absent from work because of illness are more likely to report a mental health condition than those at work, according to DWP statistics.

PR and communications agency Lansons Communications is launching an employee engagement service.