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Establishing a successful recruitment process and clear written employment contracts for new employees can have a major impact on your business.

Every business needs to be aware of its obligations under minimum wage and equal pay laws, as well as recent pensions auto-enrolment changes.

You must comply with legal restrictions on employees' working hours and time off, or risk claims, enforcement action and even prosecution.

The right employment policies are an essential part of effective staff management. Make sure any policy is clear and well communicated to employees.

While sick employees need to be treated fairly, you need to ensure that 'sickness' is not being used as cover for unauthorised absence.

Most pregnant employees are entitled to maternity leave and maternity pay, while new fathers are entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay.

As well as undermining morale, illegal discrimination can lead to workplace grievances. Employee discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Home, remote and lone workers are becoming increasingly commonplace. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.

The right approach to consulting with and providing information to your employees can improve employee motivation and performance.

Disciplinary and grievance issues can be a major burden to employers. Putting in place and following the right procedures is essential.

Following the right dismissal and redundancy procedures helps protect your business and minimise the risk of a legal dispute at tribunal.

Employment tribunal claims are a worrying prospect for any employer. A tribunal case is a no-win situation – even if the claim is unjustified.

Half of UK workers say their job stops them from keeping fit

6 February 2024

Despite good intentions - especially at this time of year - many Brits lack the time or energy to exercise after work, according to a new report.

Research conducted by Censuswide for PureGym has found that 56% of British workers say their job stops them from keeping fit. The survey of 2,000 Brits has investigated how work impacts wellbeing and which professions are exercising the most outside of work.

Lack of energy and not enough time are the key reasons that employees don't exercise outside of work according to the report:

  • 41% of those polled say they're too tired to exercise after work;
  • 34% say their job means that they don't get time to exercise.
  • 24% of people who don't exercise in their spare time say they get enough exercise through work.

The results suggest that a wide range of job types are affected, especially those where staff are on their feet for much of the day. Currently, workers in retail, hospitality and transportation exercise the least outside of work. People working in accountancy, IT or marketing exercise the most.

"Having a healthy work-life balance that allows for exercise is beneficial for both wellbeing and productivity. Allowing employees to work out during work hours, encouraging teams to get out on their lunch break, and fostering a culture that allows the time and energy to lead a healthy lifestyle, is key to removing barriers to staying active." Stephen Rowe, chief marketing officer, PureGym.

However, at least 50% of the workforce across all professions believe that their job negatively impacts their ability to exercise and keep fit, with some industries more affected than others. A staggering 90% of those in the hair and beauty industry said their job holds them back from exercising, perhaps unsurprisingly as this career is known for long hours, often spent standing up.

People working in HR (80%) and the arts (69%) are next most likely to feel that work gets in the way of exercising, while those in healthcare (50%), manufacturing (51%) and travel (53%) are the least likely to feel this way. Almost half (47%) of those in retail jobs, a sector where being on your feet for long periods is the norm, say they don't work out at all; 57% of retail workers said they're too tired to exercise after their working day.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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