Minister for Women and Equalities Maria Miller has told business leaders that improving the opportunities for women to contribute in the workplace is the key to a successful business and there can be no more excuses.

New research from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills reveals that employers who pay less than the National Minimum Wage risk huge damage to their business through loss of reputation, low productivity and high staff turnover.

Around 60% of bosses of small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) don’t always believe their employees when they call in sick, according to new research.