HR – Smart Clinic

How can occupational health help HR?

05 December 2025 HR, Occupational health

We love this question, because it already means that you aren’t just using occupational health (OH) because ‘someone told you to’ – you’re actually looking to seek value from your OH provider to help you navigate some of those tricky employee relations situations. Let’s consider what OH actually does. There are two ...

Why you shouldn’t be doing new starter medical questionnaires

31 October 2023 HR, Occupational health, Tribunals and case law

At the end of August 2023 the ICO introduced some new guidance to help employers understand their data protection obligations under the UK GDPR and DPA 2018, when handling the health information of the people who work for them. You can find this guidance here. This is an important read for ...

Tips on managing absences

27 October 2023 HR, Occupational health

Staff absences are problematic for any organisation, and absence rates are at the highest they have been for over 10 years currently. With greater staff absence comes less productivity, greater company expense, less certainty and often a reduction in quality in the service your organisation provides. There are generally no upsides ...

Why have I been referred to occupational health?

31 October 2022 HR, Occupational health

If you have been referred to occupational health by your employer, you may have some questions, primarily you may need to understand…’why have I been referred to occupational health?’. Usually this is because your employer would like some medical advice from a specialist in their field about the best way to ...

Introducing our health and safety partners

01 October 2022 HR

As specialists in the education sector we’re always looking for relevant partners who can help schools, academies and trusts to operate effectively. That’s why we’re delighted to announce our partnership with specialist health and safety company Vita Safety. For more information or a quote, please complete the following request, and Vita ...

When to use occupational health…

13 September 2022 HR, Occupational health, Tribunals and case law, Wellbeing

Even if you don’t use it regularly, having access to an occupational health service is fundamental to any organisation. But for many it can be difficult to know when to refer an employee for an occupational health assessment to use your resources effectively. Remember, for many employees being referred to occupational ...

Accessing your benefits on the grounds of ill health (ill health retirement)

15 June 2022 HR, Occupational health

A guide for members contributing to a local government pension scheme This guide describes the rules surrounding ill health pensions and the procedure involved if you think you may meet the conditions for retiring early on the grounds of ill health. This information is only relevant if you are an employee ...

So, you’ve been referred to occupational health…

10 June 2022 HR, Occupational health

If you’ve been referred for an occupational health assessment by your workplace, you may have a lot of questions and possibly be unsure what to expect. Here’s the answer to a few common questions you may have. Is it bad to be referred to occupational health? No. It’s important to debunk the myth ...

Tribunal: Unfair dismissal: Covid vaccination

01 March 2022 HR, Tribunals and case law

Allette v Scarsdale Grange Nursing Home Ltd Overview: An employment tribunal has determined that Ms Allette was dismissed fairly from her role as a Care Assistant from a nursing home, after she refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Summary: Ms Allette had been employed as a care assistant at Scarsdale Grange Nursing Home for ...

Tribunal: Constructive dismissal – discrimination

20 January 2022 HR, Tribunals and case law

Mrs J Hutchinson v Asda Stores Ltd Overview: Asda were found to have constructively dismissed Mrs Hutchinson, a dementia sufferer, after she was repeatedly asked if she wanted to retire but was not referred to occupational health. Although done with the best of intentions, this amounted to disability and age-related harassment. Summary: Mrs Hutchinson, ...

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