magazine
www.binfo.co.uk
42
offce
Workers feel
under-valued
More than one in four (26%) public sector
workers feels that their employer cares
less about their health and well-being
than they did one year ago, according
to research by healthcare provider
Simplyhealth. Among private sector
workers, the fgure is 13%. Examples of
changing attitudes include increased
workloads, the failure of employers to
manage absence effectively and a less
tolerant attitude to time off for medical
appointments. More than a third of
employers (36%) feel they’re doing their
best in diffcult economic times and do
care more about employee health and
wellbeing. Yet, only 11% of employees
believe this to be the case.
www.simplyhealth.co.uk/forbusiness
Know your rights
Acas has produced a guide to
employment rights for parents after
extended rights came into effect in
April. The guide answers questions such
as:When can I take time off?;Will I
get paid?; and Can I apply for fexible
working? Last year, Acas received
50,000 calls relating to the rights of
working parents and more than 35,000
visitors to the relevant pages on its
website.
www.acas.org.uk/fathers
Mind the wellness gap
Growing awareness of the positive
impact employee health and well-being
can have on sales, proftability, staff
morale and customer satisfaction is not
refected in the boardroom, according
to new research by well-being solutions
company vielife and London South
Bank University. Their survey of 100
of the UK’s largest public and private
sector organisations found that while
more than two thirds (68%) of the
UK’s senior HR and Finance decision-
makers consider employees to be
their organisation’s most important
asset, only 41% of companies discuss
employee health and well-being at
board level.
Filtered hot & cold water on tap
The British-designed BIBO fltered hot and cold water
dispenser is an attractive and versatile alternative to
the kettle in domestic and small offce kitchens
The counter-top unit, available in a variety of colours,
dispenses hot and chilled water instantly at the touch of
a button. It connects directly to the mains water supply,
incorporates a multi-stage water fltration process and
provides up to 30 cups of chilled water and 60 cups of hot
water each hour. It can be used to fll large jugs, cafetieres
and refllable water bottles by temporarily removing the
drip tray. BIBO costs £363 including installation, a one-year
warranty and two flters.
www.bibowater.co.uk
Lower stress levels with
pomegranate juice
Stress-busting pomegranate juice is to be made available to offce
workers in vending machines from the Green Drinks Company.
The juice concentrate, supplied in 300ml vending machine pouches by
West Country-based Pomegreat, is mixed with fltered water, sealed within
the pouch and chilled while the customer waits.
This system is claimed to consume signifcantly less energy than
vending machines that provide constant refrigeration of drinks, saving as
much as £200 in electricity costs per machine, per year.
A recent study by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh found that
drinking 500 ml of Pomegreat Pure each day caused a signifcant reduction
in the level of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva. It also led to a
reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in all 60 volunteers.
www.thegreendrinkscompany.com
Don’t neglect older
workers, CIPD warns
As more people choose to work
beyond retirement age, businesses
will need to improve the management
and training of older workers, the
Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD) warns in a new
report.
The CIPD’s
Employee Outlook:
Focus on an AgeingWorkforce
survey of
2,000 employees found that less than
half of workers (46%) aged 65+ have
had a formal performance appraisal
either once a year or more frequently,
compared to 65% of all employees.
Overall, 44% of employees aged
65+ have not had a formal performance
appraisal in the last two years or never,
compared to a survey average of 27%.
Older workers are also much less
likely than younger workers to have
received training, with 51% of those
aged over 65 saying they had received
no training in the last three years or
never, compared to 32% across all age
groups.
Diary Date
Focus on back pain
The problem of back pain is addressed in two
shows being held in London this autumn and
winter, one for offce ergonomists and the other
for people suffering from the condition.
The inaugural Workplace Ergonomics &
Productivity (WEP) exhibition and conference is being
held at London’s Royal Horticultural Halls on October
26-27. Organised by the Institute of Ergonomics &
Human Factors, it addresses all aspects of ergonomics
in the workplace, not just back pain.
People suffering from a bad back will be able to
fnd products and services designed to alleviate the
condition at The Back Pain Show, taking place at
Olympia, London on February 24-25 2012.
www.backpainshow.co.uk www.wep2011.org.uk
A quick coffee
Busy offces and conference centres are among those likely to
beneft from the new Caftesse Excellence from Douwe Egberts
Coffee Systems. A favoursome alternative to instant coffee
machines or fasks, the self-service machine is the fastest
dispenser of high quality roast and ground coffee on the market.
It can produce a freshly made cup of 100% arabica high roast
coffee in just 3 seconds and has a maximum throughput of 600
cups per hour. It offers a choice of Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino,
Espresso and Black Coffee and requires less than 10 minutes’
cleaning each week.