Current sickness figures show that employees take an average of 2 weeks (9.4 days) off, each year. A survey undertaken by CIPD and Simplyhealth showed the increase in figures, which has risen from an average of 5.8 days before the pandemic, to 7.8 days in 2023.
The rise in long-term ill health conditions accounts for one of the biggest factors, with 8.7 million people currently estimated to be living with a work-limiting condition.
Other long-term causes include mental ill health, depression and anxiety (41%), musculoskeletal injuries (31%) and serios conditions (including cancer) (30%)
Short term absences were stated as 78% for minor ailments (colds/flu), mental health issues (29%), stress (26%) and caring responsibilities (26%).
A further survey by Kickresume found that 22% of respondents had taken a sick day because they “needed a break”, and 10% admitted to using sick leave to catch up on personal errands.
What steps should organisations take?
Given the increasing trend in these figures, it is essential that organisations take action now to promote health and wellbeing in the workplace, and ultimately to reduce absence levels.
Options may include –
- Completing return to work interviews upon return
- Ensuring managers are trained to manage, and deal with, absence and ill health cases
- Offering counselling services
- Phased return to work
- Employee assistance programmes
- Occupational Health
- Flexible working
- Ensuring staff switch off, and embed a culture which doesn’t require or normalise out of hours working
- Trained mental health first aiders
- Monitoring figures, absence reasons and trends, and taking appropriate action
The survey found that counselling, phased returns and EAP programmes are all offered by approximately 40% of organisations.
However, only 29% of companies provide training to managers to manage ill health and absence.
It is essential to manage absence pro-actively, viewing it as a holistic, daily part of culture, and not just a form that is completed when an employee is off sick. Equipping managers to act consistently and fairly, and having the tools to signpost for further support is essential.
Physical and mental ill health
Often, physical and mental ill health can overlap, and staff may suffer from symptoms of both. Ensuring that support is available for employees early on is essential, proactively talking and taking targeted action to help employees manage stress and health conditions can be key to enabling positive attendance to be maintained.
Managers and HR
It is also essential to ensure that managers and HR’s own health is now overlooked. These roles play a key part in managing attendance, and should receive their own support and access to resources should they need it.
Upcoming Changes
Proposed changes will come into place next April, which will see significant changes to sick pay in the UK –
- The 3 unpaid waiting days will be removed, meaning Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be payable from Day 1 of absence
- Staff who do not qualify for SSP currently do not receive pay whilst they are off sick. Under the new rules, they will receive 80% of their pay as an alternative to SSP
These changes will have a financial effect on all organisations, and will heighten further the need for good policies, processes and management.
Further Help
If you would like to discuss how we can support with absence management, including forms and templates, managers training, workshops, policy review, or any other aspect, please contact us (team@hrprime.co.uk).
