Cases of swine flu are doubling every week in the UK according to UK Health Secretary Andy Burnham. At this rate the UK will be seeing more than 100,000 cases of infection per day by the end of August.

It is of vital importance to try to limit the spread of swine flu. The more your employees know about how to prevent infection, the more resilient your business will be through the pandemic. It is therefore important that employers and employees alike continue to do everything they can to stop swine flu from spreading.
The main advice from the Health Protection Agency to employers is that members of staff unwell with flu-like symptoms should be sent home and be asked to stay at home until they are well. However the advice is that there is no need for people who have had contact with a person with swine flu but are showing no symptoms to be excluded from the workplace. Such people should however take advantage of national resources aimed at reducing the spread of the illness. They can contact:

 

NHS Direct: 0845 46 47 or your personal GP if you are still concerned.

 

 Further information can be found in the official government leaflet located at http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/04April/Documents/Swine%20Flu%20Leaflet_Web%20Version.pdf.

 

HR Advantage has also developed ‘at a glance’ guidelines which you may find useful and which you can access through your HR Advantage Consultant contact. Alternatively call or email Christine on 01494 478 801 or christine@hradvantage.co.uk

 

According to a recent feature by the BBC, the majority of people retire before 65 but 1.3 million people work beyond state pension age and many more say they would if their employer would permit it. The review of the default retirement age had been expected in 2011 but will now take place next year. Explaining the change in the timing of the review, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "Evidence suggests that allowing older people to continue working, unfettered by negative views about ageing, could be a big factor in the success of Britain's businesses and our future economic growth."

Separately, the Court of Appeal will hear a legal challenge to the default retirement age this week in a case backed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. A number of age discrimination cases are waiting in the pipeline for the outcome of this and another challenge being brought against the government by the charity Help the Aged and Age Concern.

The outcome of the review could have huge implications for you, your organisaion and the Government so we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

 

Peoplelog is our now upgraded HRIT payroll software specifically designed for SMEs. Our Internet based HR information system is easy to set up with no IT costs. Follow the link below to read more about the features and benefits of this system which include easy cross organisational access to policies and procedures, holiday, sickness and absence management, and an HR section for efficient management of employee data.
http://www.hradvantage.co.uk/interactive/hra-systems/

 

 

 

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler
"If you win the rat race, you’re still a rat." - Lily Tomlin

 

How often do we say “if only I had more time!” ? We know there are only 24 hours in the day, so why do we try to fit so much in to our lives?  This course doesn’t provide a magic wand, but gives you space to think about how you want to spend your time and offer practical tools and insights to help you improve your management of this precious resource.

 

This is a practical and participative workshop

On this short course you will:

 

• Look at how you currently spend your time and the gap between that and how you would prefer to spend it
• Understand what lies behind some of your choices and decisions
• Learn how to take more control over your time
• Look at your whole life and not just the work aspect
• Understand the tension between “urgent” and “important” and how you can manage that relationship more productively
• Have access to practical tools and techniques that will work for you as an individual
• Learn some basic stress management tips to help you cope with the pressures.

 

Stress Management

"Stress is on average the costliest of all work-related illnesses in terms of days lost per case.” Stress at Work, The Work Foundation, 2007

 

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.  ~Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris

 

A certain amount of pressure is essential to get the best out of us, but when that pressure becomes too much, we are susceptible to stress. We no longer have to fight sabre-tooth tigers, but our busy modern lives can still trigger those deep physical reactions, which, if not managed properly, can lead to poor performance and serious health problems.

 

On this short course, you will:

• Check your understanding of stress and how to spot it in yourself and others
• Look at the aspects of your life that cause you the most stress – get answers to the questions: “Where’s the problem?  Where’s the solution?”
• Develop clarity about what you can change and what you can’t and how to develop acceptance
• Look at ways of dealing with stress when it occurs
• Importantly, look at ways you can prevent stress from developing
• Learn practical tips and techniques – short/medium and long-term that fit in to your reality.

 

Listening Skills

 

"Listen or your tongue will keep you deaf” (Native American proverb)

 

When people are listened to they feel understood and are more trusting of you.  Effective listening is a skill that needs nurturing and developing.  In everyday conversations, we often talk across each other, focused on what we want to say, or rush in with our advice, rather than really listening to the other person.

 

On this short course, you will:

 

• Look at the benefits of being a good listener
• Explore listening at different levels
• Discuss what gets in the way of good listening
• Look at situations where excellent listening can really make a difference – e.g. coaching, meetings, conflict resolution, personal relationships
• Learn to be comfortable with silence and appreciate the power of waiting
• Have extensive practice through a variety of engaging activities

 

For more information on the above training courses or to book, please do not hesitate to contact HR Advantage on 01494 451681 or email lynne@hradvantage.co.uk.

 

 

During August HR Advantage are offering a free Profiles assessment to first time users and a15% discount on any subsequent Profiles orders placed in this month. For further details follow this link to the offer on our website http://www.hradvantage.co.uk/special-offers/ or call Christine on 01494 451 681 or request details from christine@hradvantage.co.uk.