Occupational Health Blog

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  6 ways to support pregnant employees in the workplace

  Pregnancy can be an emotional rollercoaster for any parent-to-be. So many symptoms to manage, appointments to keep and plans to make. So when an employee announces their pregnancy, it is important that employers not only think carefully about how they can best fulfil their legal obligations, but also how they can provide practical and emotional […]

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  Alcohol dependency, drug addiction and the road to recovery

  “Alcohol or drug (AOD) problems are a significant health burden in the UK population, and understanding pathways to remission is important.” That’s the opening line from the UK National Recovery Survey which found 5% of the UK population, or 2.7 million people, would define themselves as having overcome an alcohol or other drug problem. Alcohol […]

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  Occupational health: Trust, consent and confidentiality

  Health issues can be deeply personal, and for that reason not everyone is comfortable with the thought of their boss knowing intimate details about their physical and mental wellbeing. However, some health issues can have a direct impact on a person’s ability to perform their employment duties and get the most out of their working […]

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  History made with new miscarriage leave legislation

  According to the pregnancy and baby charity, Tommy’s, 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in loss. The physical and emotional pain of a miscarriage can be overwhelming, and yet many people feel a need to keep that pain to themselves. The taboo that sadly surrounds pregnancy loss means many people feel compelled to “carry on as […]

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  7 practical ways to manage hay fever in the workplace

  There’s nothing quite like a spell of sunshine to lift the spirits and boost the energy levels. In theory then, summer should be a productive time for workplaces. However, for around 26% of people in the UK, this time of year can bring misery in the form of hay fever, which can have a serious […]

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  Supporting employees through their cancer journey

  An estimated 3.5 million people are currently living with cancer in the UK. For many of those people, continuing to work can be a vital way of maintaining a sense of normality when everything else feels so uncertain. But of course, given the challenges that treatment, surgery and rehabilitation can present, some changes will need […]

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  Are your offshore workers ready for the new Safe Weight Limit Policy?

  The average weight of offshore workers has risen by nearly 10kg since 2008. Not only has this increase raised questions about the health of workers, it has also raised serious safety concerns. That’s because rescue equipment such as winches, which are critical during offshore emergencies, have a limit to their capacity. The fact is that […]

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  The key to a smooth return to work

  Everyone gets sick from time to time. Sometimes we bounce back and sometimes we need a little extra support. Managing sickness absence can be a big task for any business, and that’s why so many rely on the Occupational Health team at YourGP. Here’s how we could support you and your employees enjoy a smoother […]

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  Why workplace drug and alcohol screening is vital

  Substance misuse is costing the UK economy an estimated £7.3 billion per year in lost productivity. That’s according to an impact assessment paper produced by the Institute of Alcohol Studies. It’s a massive amount of money, but more importantly there is a huge human cost involved too. From the negative impact that it can have […]

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  Does the UK have a “sick note culture”?

  Right now, around 2.8 million people in the UK are off work due to long-term sickness. That’s an increase of 40% compared to 2019. And according to a forecast by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Zurich Insurance, if that upward trend continues, absences will cost the economy £66.3billion a year by 2030 […]