A relationship of trust

It is that time of year again when handfuls of confetti are strewn around and loved-up couples pledge their devotion to each other in sickness and in health. So why is this commitment so difficult to extend to employer and employee relations? The results from the latest CBI/Axa survey made for some interesting reading this month. While the average absence fell from 7 to 6.7 days for each employee during 2007, the cost to the public sector reached £20bn. Although the fall in sickness absence is nothing to be proud of, perhaps the old adage that the longest journey begins with the first ste...