Wage reduction: Companies which try to reduce staff wages without the consent of staff, could leave themselves open to redundancy law payouts.

That is according to Simon Horsfield, employment lawyer at Pinsent Masons, whose comments come in the wake of Hewlett Packard's decision to cut the salary of its workforce.

Mr Masons explained that in the UK, employers need the consent of their staff before they make reductions to their salary.

He said: "The argument that companies are making is that this is an alternative to redundancies.  You need to present this as a part of package to deal with financial circumstances."

He recommended that employers put a time frame on any plans to reduce salaries and give employees a date by which they will return to full pay.

Obesity: Employers have once again been urged to do more to promote healthy lifestyles among their workers after newly obtained statistics revealed that the number of people off work for being obese is on the rise.

According to the government's own figures, around one in four British adults can now be classed as obese, with millions of work days lost every year as a result of weight-related illnesses.

Now, figures obtained by the Opposition show that more than 2,000 people across the UK have had to quit working altogether and rely on benefits due to being obese, with health experts calling on both the government and employers to step up their efforts to keep the nation's workforce in shape.

Under plans recently announced by ministers, only the most seriously ill or disabled members of society will be allowed to apply for a new Employment Support Allowance, with everyone else to be moved onto Jobseekers Allowance, which pays out less and requires recipients to attend interviews aimed at helping them back into the workplace.

It is estimated that obesity currently costs the UK economy £7 billion a year through a combination of health treatments and absenteeism from work.

Fitment of mirrors: From 31 March a new, retrospective and Europe-wide law demands that all trucks over 3.5 and first registered after 1 January 2000 must have mirrors or "other devices" on the passenger side cut the driver's blind spot.  Prompted by some 400 deaths a year in accidents involving truck blind spots, the Supplementary Fitment of Mirrors Directive has been part of European law for some time.  It means that most trucks first used on or after 26 January 2007 have mirror systems that meet the legal requirements.  All other trucks must now have mirrors fitted on the passenger side that meet the specification and all must carry a certificate to say that they conform.