News for 2007
February
How not to behave at concerts
There's one at every concert. That person who acts completely out of line at a live show and ruins it for everyone else. It's a situation that Alex Ward, senior in political science, says he has experienced more than once. "When I was a sophomore in high school, I went to a Korn concert at the Kemper arena," Ward said. "There was this guy sitting two seats down from me who peed in the seat in front of him. They were serving beer, and pretty much everyone was drunk."
Another unpleasant experience Ward recounts took place before anyone had entered the venue. "Prior to a Bright Eyes concert, a guy in front of me in line drank a gallon of homemade wine, puked and passed out," Ward said. "There was this big puddle on the ground, and people in line had to walk around it."
One major spot of annoyance for concertgoers is violation of personal space, which can be at a premium during rock shows. "At the last concert I went to, there were some hardcore dancers," Stephanie Cope, freshman in photojournalism, said. "They jump around and pretty much flail like crazy. They're kind of annoying if they hit you." Hayley Miller, sophomore in psychology, says wild crowd activity doesn't just annoy her. It makes her worry for her personal safety.
"I think moshing is really annoying and dangerous," Miller said. "I feel like my life is in danger, and I know I have no control over the crowd." Miller's qualms arise from personal experience. "The first concert I went to was Incubus, in Wichita," Miller said. "We were doing this big crowd wave, and I probably fell down about three times. I was scared because I couldn't breathe."
Ward says he finds moshing irritating as well, specifically when it's out of place. "Some people are really obnoxious when they mosh, especially at concerts where there shouldn't be a mosh pit," Ward said. "That happened at the Bright Eyes concert."
Kevin Wierick, sophomore in automotive technology, says he too has seen his share of inappropriate audience behavior. "I was at a Tim Reynolds concert, and his style is very sit-down, calm, the kind of music you just sit and respect," Wierick said. "There were quite a few drunks who kept rushing the stage. It got so bad that he had to stop the show early." Space problems aren't limited to wild moshing. Annette Goode says slow dancing can be troublesome, too.
"People who get into kind of a trance when they're dancing and get into your space really annoy me," Goode, an undeclared freshman, said. Alex Gordon, an undeclared sophomore, says rowdy actions don't faze him. "I haven't had a bad experience at a concert," Gordon said. "I think it's just kind of expected, so it doesn't bother me."
Cope says she also expects certain behavior at concerts, but when someone else's disregard for the music interferes with her enjoyment, it crosses the line. "I think acting rudely to the musicians isn't acceptable," she said. "They come out there to play, and when people talk or ignore them and you're trying to listen, it's really bad behavior."
Wierick agrees with Cope. "The musicians are there to perform," he said. "Usually they have gone out of their way to come and perform, so you should respect them. You pay good money to see them, so why waste it?" Ward says he thinks the answer to inappropriate concert conduct is for venues to be non-alcoholic. "I don't think they should serve alcohol at concerts," Ward said. "People just get wild."
It's pretty simple:
- Go to the bathroom in the bathroom.
- Harmonies aren't for headbanging.
- Drink your beer - don't throw it.
- Showering is a courtesy to others.
- Watch your butts (cigarettes).
- Crowd surfers suck.
Concert pulled over safety fears
A Busta Rhymes concert which would have seen the rapper performing to a homecoming crowd next week, has been pulled at the last minute over fears of safety. Rhymes was supposed to be performing with Jim Jones at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on February 21st, with the concert being approved in December and tickets well and truly sold out.
However, school officials viewed a police report which linked the names set to play with gang related activities - something the school felt was inappropriate. Apparently an incident last year which saw the bodyguard of Busta Rhymes being shot, was one of the factors that helped the officials come to their decision.
Suzanne Street, the school's director of public relations, is quoted as saying, "Their music advocates gang activity and violence, and with recent concerts, there has been (reports of) violence. The decisions are based on intelligence and in the best interest of students and the campus community." Street added.
700 tickets were sold for the performance, priced between $20 and $35.
New danger sign for radiation revealed
In an apparent acknowledgment of the plummeting standard of public scientific education in the West, the UN's nuclear tentacle today unveiled a new danger sign for radiation which must approach the nadir of literalism.
The International Atomic Energy Authority said its new sign, developed in collaboration with the International Organization for Standardization should be taken up worldwide ASAP.
Spokeswoman Caroline MacKenzie summed up the new stance against Darwinian natural selection, and in favour of Homer Simpson: "We can't teach the world about radiation, but we can warn people about dangerous sources for the price of sticker." So, as well as the traditional exclamation mark trefoil, a skull and crossbones is there to belt and braces the fact that radiation isn't nice. Any dunderheads then unsure of what to do in such circumstances are further helped out by the addition of the image of a running stick man.
Bureaucratic waste watchers will be pleased to hear the daring new corporate identity for ionizing radiation is the result of just five years of research and testing on 1,650 individuals in 11 countries.
Employers face workplace litter problem
Litter created by employees around their workplaces, including discarded cigarette ends, could become the responsibility of businesses to clean up. Defra proposals, published for consultation today (14 February), would widen the range of premises which face Street Litter Control Notices to include all types of eating and drinking venues and office buildings. This would give local authorities the power to require the occupiers or owners to clear up litter in the immediate area of their premises, including that created by their customers, and to install disposal facilities or risk a fixed penalty notice of up to £110.
Currently, individuals already face £80 fixed penalty notices, but these proposals would extend corporate responsibility alongside that. Discarded cigarette ends would be subject to the extended power after specifically being classified as litter under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. An annual survey of litter levels in England has identified smoking related litter at 79% of sites for the last three years.
When most enclosed workplaces become smoke-free on 1 July this year, under the Health Act 2006, smoking litter could become even more prevalent outside office buildings. Defra is already taking steps to reduce smoking litter, working with a range of partners to raise public awareness, encourage voluntary action, and disseminate information and good practice, as well as considering regulatory measures.
The issue of litter from smoking is already a problem for businesses who currently limit staff to smoking outside. One employer recently posed a question to the Workplace Law Network’s online advice service asking if it was legal to introduce fines for anyone found to be disposing of cigarette ends inappropriately; the company in question had been having problems with staff and customers who were ignoring the company's smoking policy as well as the signage and bins it provided around its site.
However, John Macmillan, Partner at MacRoberts Solicitors, explains that only the Crown and some football management (because of the specific contract regime) can impose 'fines'. His advice was to “sharpen up” the existing no smoking policy and introduce “a sliding scale of disciplinary sanctions for each breach, leading if necessary to dismissal”. Dealing with customers who cause litter is more difficult as the only real options in this case are gentle persuasion or telling them to take their business elsewhere.
Man fined for lack of welfare facilities
A man has been fined more than £10,000 after environmental health officers feared for the safety of his employees because a lack of welfare facilities and poor food hygiene left them at risk of catching rodent-related illnesses, the Norwich Evening News reports.
City magistrates branded Anthony Fields, owner of a discount food warehouse in Norwich, reckless in his approach to food storage, and fined him more than £10,000. In total Fields pleaded guilty to four offences, three related to food hygiene and one to health and safety for failing to provide a toilet or hot water for staff.
Environmental health officers from Norwich Council visited the site on 19 July 2006 and found evidence of rodent infestation – including a large hole in the wall, which “appeared to be gnawed by rats”. The court heard that there was evidence of food not being protected from contamination by rats, while the premises themselves were also not maintained in a way that would prevent contamination from rats.
With no toilet or wash facilities on site, the court heard, workers were left vulnerable to potentially fatal rodent-related illnesses like Weils disease. Fields said he had been aware of the problem and had tried to deal with the infestation by putting down poison to limit the number of rodents.
Fields was originally fined £15,000 but this was reduced by a third to £10,000 after his guilty plea was taken into account.
By law - the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 - employers have to provide adequate toilet and washing facilities for their employees. 'Adequate' means:
- enough toilets and washbasins for those expected to use them - people should not have to queue for long periods to go to the toilet;
- where possible, separate facilities for men and women - failing that, rooms with lockable doors;
- clean facilities - to help achieve this, walls and floors should preferably be tiled (or covered in suitable waterproof material) to make them easier to clean;
- a supply of toilet paper and, for female employees, a means of disposing of sanitary dressings;
- facilities that are well lit and ventilated;
- facilities with hot and cold running water;
- enough soap or other washing agents;
- a basin large enough to wash hands and forearms if necessary;
- a means for drying hands, e.g. paper towels or a hot air dryer; and
- showers where necessary, i.e. for particularly dirty work.
HSE clarifies use of ladders
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a clarification note on the issue of the “three points of contact” to be maintained when using ladders and stepladders. The term “three points of contact” appears in the HSE guidance leaflet INDG402: Safe Use of Ladders and Stepladders – An Employer’s Guide and the HSE says a recent media story highlighted the need to clarify the term. The three points of contact means both feet and one hand in contact with the ladder or stepladder.
The HSE has provided useful illustrations to clarify the concepts being outlined and says that the choice of ladders or stepladders to perform a task should be determined by a risk assessment to identify if work at height can be avoided in the first place. For example, it might be possible to use a long-handled tool to perform the task from the ground, or the use of safer equipment might be justified, e.g. something with a platform and guard rails. The HSE concludes that ladders and stepladders should only be used for short duration and light work or where site conditions prevent the use of safer access equipment.
Company fined for unsuitable ladder
A company have been fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £5,438 in relation to an accident in which an employee injured himself after falling from a ladder that was unsuitable for the job he was doing. In April 2006, a contractor was involved on installation work at his firm's base in Leicester when he fell three metres from a ladder; he suffered fractures to both of his wrists.
The company pleaded guilty to contravening the Work at Height Regulations 2005 after an investigation found that the work had been neither risk assessed nor adequately planned.
Leicestershire HSE Principal Inspector John Marshall said: "Although this was a nasty injury, it could easily have been a lot worse - every year people working at height lose their lives or suffer serious injury, people have been killed or left disabled from shorter falls from this. Employers need to ensure that work is properly planned for. Had the company assessed the work the ladder would have been identified as unsuitable for the task. Companies need to be aware of the risks of working at height and need to ensure that any work carried out has been properly planned - including carrying out a risk assessment."
There are some very simple steps that need to be taken before carrying out any work at height:
- Plan the work in advance including how you will gain access and how will you prevent falls
- Implement the control measures identified in the plan e.g. hire in a cherry picker, protect fragile surfaces
- Supervise the work so that the plan is followed and the safety measures are used.
"Every job is different and you need to go through these steps every time. These precautions are not new and HSE has produced lots of guidance which is freely available on the website. Firms need to ensure they have devised a proper method for doing the job - some employers clearly need to raise their game to stay on the right side of the law."
Firms should remember that work at height can be extremely dangerous unless proper control measures are in place. This accident again illustrates that compliance with this legislation is essential.
if you are following good practice for work at height now you should already be doing enough to comply with these Regulations;
- follow the risk assessments you have carried out for work at height activities and make sure all such work is planned, organised and carried out by competent persons
- follow the hierarchy for managing risks from work at height - take steps to avoid, prevent or reduce risks; and
- choose the right work equipment and select collective measures to prevent falls (such as guardrails and working platforms) before other measures which may only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall (such as nets or airbags) or which may only provide personal protection from a fall.
Bus drivers fined for not resting
Four bus drivers have been fined for working too many hours without having adequate rest. The discrepancies came to light after a records check by an officer from the Vehicle and Operating Service Agency (VOSA).
The drivers involved all admitted offences under the Transport Act for not taking the required rest period of 36 hours after working for six days in a row. However, the drivers claimed that they were only following a rota prepared by the company; a rota which meant they had between four and five hours short of the required 36 hours off work.
They also said that they did not know about the law and had never received any training from their company on how the rostered hours worked – despite repeated requests for such training.
In their defense the drivers said they should have been able to rely on the company rosters. However, the prosecution said that each individual has to take some responsibility to ensure that they do not exceed the limit.
Chairman of the magistrates' bench David Dawson said he had decided to impose minimal fines on the four defendants. He said: "You are PSV [public service vehicle] drivers and doing this job there is always a potential danger to the public, and that has got to be a very high concern for all of us.
"It is your responsibility to know the law and although you did take some steps, eventually, to clarify the law, you should have taken steps earlier." But he added: "All of you operated to a rota not drawn up by yourselves and there is no claim that this was done for any financial gain."
Each driver was ordered to pay a £100 fine with £30 towards prosecution costs.
Health & Safety expert banned for shaving while driving
A health and safety expert has been banned from driving after he was caught shaving as he overtook a line of rush hour traffic at 70mph. Edward Hutcheson, 39, was seen leaning forward to look in his rear view mirror as he used an electric shaver.
He was banned for six months and fined £300 after being found guilty of careless driving on the A9 near Auchterarder, Perthshire, last March. He told police he was late for a first aid course, Perth Sheriff Court heard. Hutcheson, who had previously worked on accident investigations with the police, also claimed he had been leaning across the car at an awkward angle so he could see past a dozen mannequins he had stored in the back of his car.
The court heard how police officers saw him drive past their patrol vehicle as he used an electric shaver on his face and crane his head to look in the rear view mirror. They turned round and chased Hutcheson from the entrance to Upper Cairnie Farm, near Auchterarder, before catching up with him a mile further on. He had one hand on the wheel and police said he appeared to be checking if he was "getting a good shave".
Hutcheson, from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, said he was a health and safety inspector and was running late to deliver a first aid training course in Dundee. Sheriff Michael Fletcher heard that Hutcheson stood to lose his job without a licence. The sheriff found him guilty of careless driving. "It is near the top end of careless driving, considering the conditions you were driving in and what was going on," the sheriff said.
One-man piano moving
For many years Jeffrey Shackell has moved concert grands to and from concert venues and until now this has needed the use of at times up to 4 or 5 men. Jeffrey is now the first person in the UK to have the Klavier Roller system. Developed in France by Bernard and Pascal Wintz the system allows the complete safe moving of a concert grand piano by just one man!
Jeffrey comments "For many years the moving of heavy concert grands has been a problem, a model D Steinway weighs in at about half a tonne. Of course we have managed with the use of man power, but it is not always possible to get the right men just when you want them. Klavier Roller has changed all that, I can now deliver a concert grand on my own with no effort at all".
The Klavier Roller is fully capable of climbing stairs and taking pianos on to any height of stage or platform. The Klavier Roller looks after the piano much better in transit and puts no pressure on the instrument when moving from the horizontal position to vertical. "It is even fun moving concert grands now" adds Jeffrey.
If you are going to concerts where Jeffrey is supplying a piano keep an eye out at the end of the concert for the second show of the evening.
It goes without saying that the addition of the Klavier Roller puts Jeffrey in a competitive light for concert piano hire.
Jeffrey Shackell is the UK agent for Klavier Roller and is pleased to offer information and prices on request.
Feargal Sharkey appeals for new studios
Feargal Sharkey has appealed for councils across the country to give the music industry a boost by opening studios for new bands.
The former Undertones singer, who now chairs the government's Live Music Forum, wants authorities to convert disused properties into rehearsal space and install recording facilities.
He spoke as he opened the first space converted under the scheme in Wrexham, saying: "It doesn't need massive investment," adding that donating "a space and a small financial contribution" would be enough.
"It may be a romantic stereotype – fledgling bands rehearsing in their parents' garage before cutting their teeth on the live circuit," continued the star, who was close to late new music champion John Peel. "But good quality, properly equipped studios are invaluable in getting a good sound early on.
"With so many properties lying empty in every council area, I believe at least one has the potential to be a rehearsal studio. Wrexham Council have shown that it doesn't need massive investment – just the donation of a space and a small financial contribution."
The Welsh Development Agency has provided a grant of £17,500 to staff the Wrexham project, while the council has provided the space rent free, given £1,500 towards construction costs and supplied the equipment for a small recording studio next door to the rehearsal room.
Research shows more people are losing their hearing
Modern life is noisy. Very noisy. And whether it comes from heavy traffic, power tools or MP3 players, it's damaging our hearing. In fact, more of us than ever are losing our hearing prematurely, according to Deafness Research UK. At the moment nine million people in the UK suffer from hearing loss, with 40 per cent of over-50s currently affected. But experts predict today's youngsters could suffer hearing problems 30 years earlier than their grandparents did.
THE CAUSES
"While ageing is the most common cause of hearing loss, affecting the majority of over-80s, noise is the most common preventable cause," says Angela King, senior audiologist with RNID, the charity for deaf and hard of hearing people. More than half a million people in the UK currently have hearing difficulties due to noise at work, according to the Medical Research Council. And more people than ever regularly get potentially damaging noise doses from music.
Indeed, research shows that threequarters of people now own a personal music player and have sophisticated sound systems in their cars and homes, enabling them to listen to music more often than ever before. The result is that delicate sound detecting cells in the inner ear are eventually permanently damaged by exposure to high noise levels.
What's safe?
Listening to noise over 105 decibels for more than 15 minutes is enough to damage a person's hearing, according to the Health and Safety Executive. To give an idea of what that means, normal conversation is around 60 decibels, heavy traffic around 85 and a rock concert can reach up to 120 decibels.
According to Angela King, 75 decibels is considered a safe level at which to play your MP3 player. "The higher the sound level, the shorter the time you can listen without risking damage to your hearing. For instance, you could listen to 75 decibels for eight hours a day without risk but you shouldn't listen to 94 decibels for more than an hour," she says.
But how do you know what decibel level you're listening to?
"Check how it sounds in quiet surroundings. If it's uncomfortable, then it's turned up too loud. Or if you can't hear someone next to you talking loudly at the same time, then it's probably too loud. If you have temporary ringing in your ears or your hearing seems a bit dull after listening to your player, it's a sign that you've been listening too loud and for too long," advises Angela King.
Even better, Apple has recently announced an iPod update that allows the listener to set the maximum volume. And it comes with a code so parents can stop children from undoing it.
8 early signs of hearing damage
Your hearing may be below average if one or more of the following applies to you:
- You have trouble following conversations in noisy places.
- Ringing in the ears. Initially, this may be temporary but, if damage continues, it can become a permanent condition known as tinnitus. It can also be caused by a middle ear infection, so see your GP.
- Thinking people are mumbling. High frequency sounds are the first to go in both age-related and noise-induced hearing loss, so sounds become distorted rather than quieter.
- You find it easier to follow a conversation when looking at the person speaking.
- Following group conversations has become harder.
- You're constantly asking people to repeat things.
- Other people complain that your television is too loud.
- You have difficulty hearing the doorbell or telephone.
Get tested
If you suspect your hearing's not as good as it was, you can test it over the telephone in just five minutes by calling 0845 600 5555. If your results are below average, you should see your GP for a hearing assessment and possible referral for a test with a specialist.
What help is out there?
Hearing aids
They work with a built-in microphone that picks up and processes sound. They may contain different programmes for different situations - for instance, those designed for noisy environments filter out background noise. There's a wide variety, including body-worn aids that you clip to your clothes, behind-the-ear versions and discreet models worn inside the ear canal.
Part of the reason NHS waiting times for hearing aids are so long is because it's moving over from analogue to digital aids so staff need to be trained accordingly. "The advantage is that digital aids are customised to suit your particular type and level of hearing loss," explains Angela King. You'll get immediate treatment and more choice if you pay privately, but prices can be steep, going up to £2,500.
Loop system
Many public places such as banks, post offices, theatres and train stations have a loop system, which helps anyone with a hearing aid to hear sounds more clearly by reducing background noise.
Just look for the distinctive loop symbol and switch your hearing aid to the relevant setting. You can also install hearing aidcompatible loop systems at home.
Vibrating alarm clock
Just place the clock, below, under your pillow and it will wake you.
Phone amplifier
This simply increases the volume of the incoming caller's voice.
Flashing lights
These can be rigged up to the doorbell so they alert you when it rings.
TV subtitles
Call the RNID for details.
For more details on any of the above gadgets, call RNID on 0808 808 0123 or visit www.rnid.org.uk
Noise generators
If you suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and it interferes with sleep, "white noise" generators are small devices that mask the tinnitus sound by creating a low-level hissing noise. Just put them under your pillow.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) is a special programme of structured counselling sessions, which retrain the brain to filter out the tinnitus noise.
Hope is in the pipeline
ONCE damaged, the sensory hair cells that detect sound can't be repaired or replaced. However scientists at Sheffield University are working on ways to regenerate the cells from human stem cells (the body's master cells), potentially restoring age and noise-related hearing loss.
Meanwhile, boffins at the Ear Institute in London are investigating which genes are involved in age-related hearing loss. This will help them find ways of preventing and curing the condition.
Essential protection tactics
Here are the best ways to prevent hearing damage:
- Never stand near loudspeakers at concerts.
- Wear ear plugs to protect your ears at concerts or in nightclubs. They can reduce sound levels by between 15 and 35 decibels and, by blocking out the excess noise, can even improve your ability to make out conversation and music.
- Protect your ears when doing noisy DIY jobs, for instance those involving power drills or electric lawn mowers.
- Never turn your MP3 player up to cover loud external noise. When your player is on, you should be able to hear someone talking loudly next to you.
- Even better, if you have an Apple iPod, download the volume update that allows you to set the maximum volume. Visit docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303414.
- Never stick cotton buds or other objects into your ears to clean them. It can push wax back down the ear canal, causing blockage and irritation.
- If you're in a noisy job, make sure your ears are protected. For more information, call the Health and Safety Executive on 0845 345 0055 or visit www.hse.gov.uk/noise.
- Give your ears time to recover from noisy events. For instance, your ears need at least 16 hours of rest if you've been exposed to 100 decibels (the equivalent of a pneumatic drill) for around two hours.
Sound strategies
If your hearing is less than perfect, follow these tips to good communication:
- If you're in a noisy environment, sit with your back to the noise if possible.
- Always try and face the person who's talking.
- Ask people to speak clearly and slowly but not to shout as this distorts noise, making hearing more difficult.
- Learn to lipread - your local library or education authority will have details of courses in your area.
New NHS scheme to recoup costs in work-related accidents
A new scheme, which came into force today (29 January), that is designed to help the NHS recoup some of its treatment costs in relation to work-related accidents, could result in higher costs for businesses, employers have been warned. The Government has said that through the new the NHS Injury Costs Recovery (ICR) scheme the NHS will be able to claim back over £150m a year for treating employees injured at work. The scheme, which will apply in England, Wales and Scotland, comes into force today (29 January).
The ICR will introduce a fixed-rate tariff covering ambulance journeys, hospital treatment, admission or follow-up appointments directly relating to any injury for which compensation is received. The NHS can claim back such costs of treatment up to £37,100 per case. The scheme will be administered on behalf of the Government by the Compensation Recovery Unit, which will calculate what is owed to the NHS for the cost of a patient’s treatment.
The Employers’ Liability market is predicted to be particularly affected by the introduction of the scheme; it is estimated that the NHS will recover between £200m and £250m a year from Employers’ Liability insurers. As a result, rates for Employers’ Liability insurance are expected to rise by 5-8% to compensate for these costs.
The Federation of Small Businesses has warned that this will have a particular impact on small businesses. The organisation claims that 25% of small businesses find it difficult or impossible to secure any sort of employers liability compulsory insurance, and that insurers do not take good health and safety records into account. It says businesses that demonstrate a good health and safety record should be entitled to reduced premiums.
Malcolm Tarling of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said companies had been preparing for the introduction of the scheme for the last 18 months: "This has given the industry time to assess the impact of the change on their own business, so premiums may already have gone up." He added that the actual cost would only be revealed when the scheme was in operation.
Health Minister Andy Burnham said the scheme was “based on the legal rights of the NHS and the responsibilities of those to blame. We hope it will act as an additional impetus to improving health and safety. It is unacceptable that taxpayers have to pay for the medical treatment of someone injured at work simply because employers fail to take adequate steps to protect their workforce."
"Peternity" leave takes off
A number of large businesses have begun to allow their employees “peternity” leave, in order to look after sick pets or take them to the vets. London delivery company The Courier Service introduced a "peternity" policy last July that lets workers claim two days' paid annual leave.
Denise Fresco, human resources manager, said: "It is awarded in the same way people might need time off for a baby or to look after a child." Meanwhile, the Bank of Scotland allow workers to take time off work for sick pets, so long as they organise cover.
Royal Mail has also said that it will consider allowing "compassionate leave" if a pet dies. However, having such a policy in place could prove dangerous. As Workplace Law previously reported, in September 2006, Royal Mail had to pay employee David Portman an undisclosed amount for firing him after he took a week off work following the death of his dog.
The week's absence, the last in a series of absences, happened in 2004 and Portman was dismissed from his job as a result. Portman’s lawyer argued that many of the previous absences were a result of workplace injuries and that Royal Mail's own procedures say that time off following bereavement is not counted against an employee's sickness record.
The tribunal ruled Portman had been off for legitimate reasons and that Royal Mail had failed to understand and apply its own policy. It also found that the company had been too inflexible in its interpretation of events. Some companies paternity policies not only allow staff time off but also to bring their pets into the workplace, like staff at the London office of internet firm Google. The firm decided to allow pets at work after realising staff were reluctant to leave them at home or pay for expensive dog walkers.
Google’s ‘Dog Policy’ can be found on its website and includes such clauses as: “If a pet has more than one indoor 'accident' they will be asked to go home”. In a survey by insurers Petplan, 35% of people admitted to taking time off work to either settle new pets into the home or care for sick pets. Half of those owned up to taking a whole week off - potentially costing businesses up to £19m each year.
A separate survey by Direct Line found that pet owners collectively take eight million ‘sick’ days a year to get over the death of their animals. The group estimates that grieving owners cost UK businesses around £127m a year in sick pay during the time they take off when their pet dies. Seventy-nine per cent of people responding to the survey admitted they did not think their boss would be sympathetic, and the only way they could get time off work was by lying, usually pretending to be ill.
