Author: Helen Duffy

Whenever we turn on the news, or open a newspaper, we hear about another organisation going into administration, or making huge job cuts.  It is a very difficult time for all of us, and there are very few people who don’t worry about the possibility of being made redundant.  Your job is a big part of your life and your identity, and losing it can be a huge shock to the system.  Please click here for some pointers on how to deal with the situation, if it does become a reality, and what you can to do get the best out of a bad situation.

How to cope, and what your employer should be doing…

Author: Helen Duffy

The Christmas festivities are over, the diets have started and the credit card bill is on its way.  It’s cold and dark and seems like there’s nothing to look forward to.  It’s no surprise then that according to research, the 5th of January was the most stressful day of the year.  Apparently, as a result of these ‘January blues’ our colleagues are likely to be irritated by the slightest of things, including eating loudly, sniffing and talking too loudly on the phone. 

Experts are urging us to rant and rave about our tensions, rather than bottling them up.  Apparently, releasing tension through shouting and screaming is a really beneficial way to expel the negative energies caused by stress. If you think that this might cause a few funny looks in your workplace, sit down, relax, and click here to read our advice on how to deal with stress in the workplace and an employer’s obligations to ease this stress.

Now that the Christmas break is over and January is upon us, many employees might be tempted to take a day or two off work as a “sickie” in the hope that their employers will not take action against them. The new television advert and website for Benylin, the cold and flu remedy manufacturers, has infuriated many employers by seemingly encouraging employees to “take a Benylin day” and stay in bed at the first sign of a cold as opposed to trying to make it into the office. The website even gives employees advice on how to call in sick.  (more…)

Author: Andrew Nellist

I’m all too aware that a large number of people in this country believe that a man and woman living together have legal rights arising purely as a consequence of their cohabitation.  Apparently the actual number is reducing but is still in excess of 50% even though the reality is that cohabitation itself does not bestow any legal rights.

Lord Lester the Liberal Democrat peer has been spearheading a campaign for a change in the law.  The latest development in the ‘Living Together’ campaign saw the publication in September by Resolution (the Solicitors Family Law Association) of a consultation paper with a view to a Bill being introduced in Parliament before the end of 2008.  (more…)