Data shows alarming costs of sick leave crisis
New research has revealed that UK sick leave has hit alarming new levels, costing businesses over £20,000 per long-term absence and £13,800 per short-term case (MetLife UK).
The average absence rate has climbed due to stress, burnout, and a sense of disconnection amongst today’s workforce. As frontline managers and young professionals are hit hardest by exhaustion and mental health issues, businesses from every sector face repercussions ranging from declining productivity to lost profitability and strained team morale.
According to experts at Instant Offices, the state of workplace wellbeing is now at an all-time low, especially amongst under-35s and those in roles most exposed to organisational pressures. “People are the engine of every successful business—yet sustained pressure, lack of support, and reactive policies mean more workers are reaching breaking point,” says Ben Wright, head of global partnerships from Instant Offices. “Prioritising employee wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s a strategic necessity.”
Read more on the HSM website.
Northampton logistics professional takes home award for groundbreaking project improving workplace accessibility
Ashleigh Page has taken home an award for leading a pioneering project while on the graduate scheme at GXO, to improve workplace accessibility for disabled colleagues – driving meaningful change across the company and sparking wider conversations in the logistics sector.
Identifying barriers faced by deaf colleagues and a team member with a limb difference in Material Handling Equipment roles, Ashleigh independently initiated a programme at a GXO site to make these roles safer and more inclusive. Her work included developing accessible safety protocols, establishing buddy systems and delivering awareness training to the team – all in close conjunction with the affected colleagues, who fed in directly to shape the initiatives.
Ashleigh’s initiative didn’t just change the work environment at GXO – it started a ripple effect, influencing company-wide practices and inspiring others across the logistics sector to reimagine how roles can be made more accessible for everyone.
For more on the achievement visit the East Midlands Business Link website.
Biffa fined almost £2.5 million after worker crushed by skip wagon
A waste management company has been fined £2.48 million after a worker was run over by a reversing skip wagon at a waste transfer station in Bradford.
James Tabiri, 57, was working as a sort line operative at Biffa Waste Services Ltd’s waste transfer site in Bradford. On 10 August 2023, while making his way to the site office across the weighbridge, he was struck from behind by a reversing skip wagon. The impact caused him to fall, and he died from crush injuries from the rear wheels.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Biffa Waste Services Ltd failed to effectively review and monitor the control measures in place to protect pedestrians and keep them separate from vehicle movements.
Learn more on the HSE website.
Campaign tackles joint complaints ahead of festive season
A new on-site inspection programme to tackle the risk of back and joint issues among workers in the haulage and logistics industry is being launched by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI).
As part of its wider Workplace Health Campaign, HSENI is calling on employers to act now to reduce the risks of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) such as lower back problems, damage to joints and limbs ahead of the busiest season for the sector.
Speaking at a major logistics conference in Belfast, HSENI Principal Inspector Kellie McNamara urged employers to work with her team of inspectors to reduce work-related serious injury and ill health associated with MSDs.
Visit the HSM website to read more.
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