Grumpiest Week of the Year for Britain's Employees

12th January 2011

Coming back to work after the festive season and adjusting back to the rat race can be difficult, but for some of us the trauma of returning to our jobs may not leave us in the best of moods.

A real-time search for the quote "I hate my job" on Google produces a wealth of Twitter updates from disgruntled workers using social media to vent their employment woes.

The first few working days after the Christmas and New Year holidays are revealed as the peak of employee discontent with their working environment, with a noticeable increase in occurrences of the phrase during these opening days of 2011.

Is there anything that can be done to improve employee morale during the "grumpiest week of the year", and ensure that the overall productivity of the business is not affected?

Andrea O’Hare, Head of Personal and Employment Law at Citation commented "Many businesses have decided to give the Royal Wedding on Friday 29th April 2011 as an additional bank holiday to employees. Announcing this to employees in January may boost morale leading to enhanced productivity. The legal position is that there is no obligation on employers to give this bank holiday."

Citation’s Employment Law Compliance Services provide clients with support on all issues relating to the Employment Law like the above to ensure they know how to handle a situation appropriately.

If you are worried that your business is not properly conforming to employment law regulations, then a Citation employment law consultant can help.

Operating throughout the UK since 1995, Citation provides professional advice and compliance packages to business clients. Independently endorsed at the highest level its market leading services provide guaranteed protection in the high risk areas of employment law and health & safety regulations.

For more information about Citation and the services they provide, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk/.

Ref: CHS-HS-070111


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Review of Workplace Accidents and Injuries in Britain in 2010

8th January 2011

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released its annual report on the level of workplace accidents and injuries in Britain over the past 12 months.

According to the HSE stats, there were 121,430 injuries to employees in the workplace, with around 26,000 of those being classed as "major" injuries, and 152 of them fatal.

Furthermore, around 1.3 million people suffered from illness, either new or long-standing cases, that were caused or made worse by their employment, past or present.

In total, around 28.5 million working days were lost across Britain last year, a rate of 1.2 days per worker. It is estimated that almost one in a thousand British employees will suffer a major injury at work during their working lives.

Alastair Hall, Head of Health & Safety at Citation commented on these findings, "These findings highlight how common workplace injuries really are. Employers need to know their legal requirement to provide a safe workplace with regards to health and safety to protect both the employee and themselves"

If you are worried that your business is not properly conforming to health and safety regulations, and could be hit with similarly hefty court and compensation costs from injured employees, then a consultant from workplace health and safety specialists Citation could help.

Operating throughout the UK since 1995, Citation provides professional advice and compliance packages to business clients. Independently endorsed at the highest level its market leading services provide guaranteed protection in the high risk areas of employment law and health & safety regulations.

For more information about Citation and the services they provide, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk/.

Ref: CEL-HS-060111


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When it comes to Swine Flu be prepared and protect staff from spreading the virus

7th January 2011

Consider the impact of 3, 10 or even 22 employees being sick at the same time could have on your businesses’ productivity?

Swine Flu can cripple a business very quickly if precautionary measures are not followed to limit the spread of the flu like virus.

Citation have provided a summary of some general health & safety tips to prevent the spread of swine flu around your business.

How does Swine Flu spread?

The swine flu virus can be spread from person to person in the same way as ordinary cold and other flu viruses, mostly through coughing and sneezing.

The virus is contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of the nose and mouth when someone coughs or sneezes then land on surfaces, where the virus can survive for up to 24 hours.

Anyone who touches these surfaces can spread the virus by the touching something else. Everyday items at work and in public places may have traces of the virus, including:

  • Food
  • Door handles
  • Remote controls
  • Hand rails
  • Phones
  • Kettles
  • Computer keyboards

People usually become infected by picking up the virus on their hands from contaminated objects and then placing their hands near their mouth or nose. It is also possible to breathe in the virus if it is suspended in airborne droplets.

Reduce the virus spreading

Practicing good hygiene is the single most effective way to stop the spread of diseases like flu.

You can protect yourself and colleagues by:

  • Ensuring everyone washes their hands regularly with soap and water - use signs to raise awareness around kitchens and toilets
  • Using antibacterial gel on hands - you could supply this in reception/signing in areas/kitchens/staff rooms etc
  • Cleaning surfaces regularly (such as door handles, computer keyboards, desk and mobile phones) using a normal cleaning product - build this into your normal cleaning processes

What to do if think you or a colleague has Swine Flu

People with swine flu typically have a fever or high temperature (over 38C or 100.4F) and may also have aching muscles, sore throat or a dry cough.

The symptoms are very similar to other types of seasonal flu and most people recover within aweek, even without special treatment.

If you or a colleague has a fever or high temperature and two or more of the following symptoms, you/they may have swine flu:

  • unusual tiredness
  • headache
  • runny nose
  • sore throat
  • shortness of breath or cough
  • loss of appetite
  • aching muscles
  • diarrhoea or vomiting

If you, or a colleague think, you have swine flu it is recommended that you see GP who will determine the most appropriate action to take. Information on treatment can be found on the NHS website.

Citation’s compliance solutions in health & safety and employment law provide SMEs with 24/7 advice and ongoing support to deal with situations like these enabling employers to easily demonstrate they have followed the necessary procedures.

For more information about Citation and the services they provide, visit the Citation website at http://www.citation.co.uk/.


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