More than half of staff hurt at work take legal action (People Management online 15/07/08) 

Survey finds 54 per of injured employees sue

Anna Scott

The survey highlights the importance of risk management in safeguarding employees health, according to RSA.

'We're all going on a summer holiday'... or are we? People Bulletin 10.7.08 Summer holiday plans are in disarray as redundancy fears and the pressure to deliver results begins to take its toll across the UK. According to the latest research from the Chartered Management Institute, many of the UK’s executives have postponed holiday plans and, even if they do go away, many refuse to stop working. The survey shows that one in four executives will not use their full holiday entitlement this year, preferring to ‘carry days over’ to 2009. The finding comes against a backdrop of redundancy rates doubling, to 3% over the past year, with 23% of employers admitting their staff fear restructuring and job insecurity. The survey also indicateded that ‘belt tightening’ is taking place at a business and personal level. For example, rather than spend money on a holiday, 37% of individuals want to ‘exchange unused holiday time for cash’, but only 16% of employers agree to this. Private healthcare is also sought in exchange for annual leave, yet only 2% of organisations agree to the swap. Respondents are also blaming a lack of support from employers for their ‘lack of rest’. Asked why they are unable to take their full holiday entitlement, 34% cited extensive workloads. 31% also claimed they have to use holiday time to care for dependents. Just 9% said they have the option to give back unused holiday for flexible working options. The survey goes on to show that holiday plans have been affected by UK executives’ determination to remain employable. For example, 23% use their holiday entitlement to develop skills making them ‘recession proof’, 49% don’t want to let clients or colleagues down and 27% are focused on ‘meeting project deadlines’. Even if they do go on holiday, significant proportions continue to work. The survey reveals that 39% regularly check work emails and 29% dial-in to pick up voicemail messages. One in five also argue that it is a good time to ‘catch up on background reading’. Jo Causon, Director, Marketing & Corporate Affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, said, “There is clearly a fear that ‘out of sight means out of mind’ but without a proper break individual performance can suffer and employers will notice mistakes more than they will absence through holiday. Individuals need to recognise this and use holiday time to recharge their batteries.” According to the survey, there are signs that individuals recognise the value of holidays, even if they fail to follow their own advice. Three-quarters (74%) actively encourage team members to use their full entitlement and 89% say it helps refresh their enthusiasm for work. Asked about the impact of their line manager going on holiday, 57% see it as a positive opportunity to ‘take on more responsibility’ and 48% enjoy the chance to ‘work more closely with senior managers’.