Infozone: the briefing – 21/05/10

RECESSION HERALDS THE BLUES

The recession has made more than one-quarter of employees so anxious that they dread going back to work on Mondays, a new report has found. The research by mental health charity Mind found 26% of workers' weekends were ruined by Sunday blues and the dismay at having to return to work the next day. The survey of more than 2,000 adults also found that since the recession, one in 10 workers have sought support from their doctors, while 7% have started taking anti-depressants for stress and mental health problems directly caused by the pressures of the recession on their workplace.

‘BRUTAL NHS CUTS ON THE WAY

NHS staff are preparing for a "brutal" round of cuts, with jobs expected to be in the firing line. Several hospitals have already reported that jobs will go, with more announcements expected to follow. According to the BBC, a £2bn fund has been set aside to cover one-off costs in the health service, including redundancies and redeployments. Hospital staff are particularly vulnerable because up to two-thirds of their budget is accounted for by labour costs. Southampton Hospitals Trust is cutting 400 jobs this year and 200 next year. Meanwhile, Cambridge University Hospitals Trust and Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital have both asked staff who want to leave to volunteer for a pay-off.

5% PAY REDUCTION FOR MINISTERS

The new coalition government ministers have agreed to take a 5% pay cut and see their salaries then frozen for five years, in a bid to reduce Whitehall costs. The pay cut will save £300,000 this year, the Cabinet Office said.