Improving employee absence is now “a matter of urgency”

Last week, the EEF/Westfield Health 2012 annual sickness absence report revealed that improvements in UK employee absence levels have ground to a halt, giving employers a worrying forecast of the year ahead.

The report found that stress, anxiety and depression were the main areas of prolonged absence as they usually require longer period of recovery. It also found that the number of employees with no sickness absence has increased from 46% in 2010 to 51% in 2011, clearly showing the increase in ‘employee presenteeism’, which is not beneficial for either employer or employee.

According to EEF, in order to reverse these worrying trends, the government must begin implementing the proposals outlined in Dame Carol Black’s 2011 Review of Sickness Absence as “a matter of urgency”.

For more information please see the article below.

http://www.hi-mag.com/health-insurance/product-area/occupational-health/article398244.ece

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Helping to bridge the gap

An employee is off work with a back problem or stress, they need treatment and the employer needs them back to work…..fast!  So, what do 3 out of 4 employers do? Absolutely nothing!

The majority of employers expect that an employee will visit their GP to get the appropriate treatment they need from the NHS – job done?

The NHS, in its current guise, is unable to facilitate the early intervention that we know is key to a speedy recovery and return to work.  The Chartered Society for Physiotherapy (CSP) believe it is likely that access to services such as physiotherapy via the NHS will be further reduced over the coming years due to the proposed government cuts.  This will result in people with treatable or preventable health problems being unable to work for longer periods of time.

So, can employers afford to leave employees to arrange their own recovery?

Employers need to take an active role in managing employee absence but how do they do this cost effectively given the current economic climate?

Rostrum Health’s Early Intervention Scheme (EIS) is an insurance policy costing just £15 per employee, per annum which focuses on the two most prevalent causes of employee absence: musculoskeletal disorders and mental ill health issues, which equate to over half of the reasons employees are absent from work.

Our objectives are simple:

• To return an employee to work, who is suffering from an MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorder) or a MIHI (Mental Ill Health Issue) quickly and safely

• Helping to bridge the gap between the incident (period of absence) and eventual NHS treatment where a condition is not able to be fully resolved by utilising EIS

A proactive approach to managing employee absence will reap rewards!

Presenteeism

Yesterday, Ernst & Young’s Item Club claimed that the UK had fallen back into recession and that unemployment is expected to increase by 300,000 in 2012 to reach just under three million people.

'pres·en·tee·ism [prez-uhn-tee-iz-uhm]

the practice of coming to work despite illness, injury, anxiety, etc., often resulting in reduced productivity'

It’s not surprising that UK employees are suffering from massive job insecurities.  We have fewer people doing the work so employees are left feeling overloaded; they are working longer hours to compensate and are wary of taking any time off.  The problem of presenteeism is increasing and is generally a hidden drain on businesses. It is estimated that it costs the UK economy over £19 bn a year adding yet another dimension to the already complex environment of human risk management.  Not only is productivity and staff morale likely to suffer but it is arguable that presence at work despite suffering from stress related illness, could prompt higher levels of stress absence long-term.

It’s important for employers to recognise that it may just be a false economy to create an environment where employees are scared to take time off and fearful that they might lose their jobs if are absent. 

Most football managers realise that it’s far better for an injured player to miss one extra game to recover more fully, than for the player to return too soon and miss the rest of the season!

Investing in help and support for employees doesn't have to be expensive

The New Year is a good time to remind employers about their employee's health, not only is this a terrible time of the year for absence due to coughs, colds, flu and stomach bugs but also due to stress and depression.  For some of us January is a time to reflect on what has happened in the previous year and to think about positive changes and improvements to make - starting afresh! However it can be a very challenging time especially for those of us who are having to adjust to job loss, death of a loved one, financial stress or have suffered loneliness and stress throughout the holiday period.  For them there seems little room for any improvement.

"expect to see a rise in stress, anxiety and depression during economic downturns"

Not only do we have to look after our own mental health but also the health of those around us. It is important for employers to look out for signs of stress and support those employees because, although mental ill health at work costs UK businesses over £26 billion per year, it still remains a taboo subject!

Around 1 in 5 people will suffer from depression and of course you would expect to see a rise in stress, anxiety and depression during economic downturns. So the question is what are employers doing about it?  

Investing in help and support for employees doesn't have to be expensive.  Businesses who look after their staff will reap the rewards in reduced sickness absence and increased productivity.