Research has shown that rising levels of illness are affecting many workplaces. Employers report increased absences affecting productivity, service quality and staff morale, as well as their bottom line.
In a survey of 233 employers conducted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, nearly half (48.5%) said that rising sickness rates resulted in decreased productivity.
Over a third (36,5%) said that it caused a decrease in service quality. 31% pointed to a lower morale of co-workers. More than a third (36%) of respondents said that it had direct or indirect financial consequences for their business.
More than half of respondents (51%) responded that they would introduce flexible work policies to combat this.
The next most popular option was better training and guidance in the area of workplace safety (40%), followed closely by improved employee education about health and wellness (37%).
For 30% of employers, investing in employee assistance programs and/or counseling and mental health support is the best solution.
The majority of respondents (29%) said that they would take more steps to manage their workload and monitor it (29%), while 27% stated that they would do more to promote workplace hygiene.
The REC said that only 13% of employers surveyed said they wouldn’t be offering any health measures. This shows the increasing trend for businesses to prioritize health and well-being.
Kate Shoesmith, deputy chief executive of REC, said: “Tackling the rising ill-health is a massive economic and social challenge for government and business.”
Many employers are already proactively addressing the issue of sickness absence. Over half of employers offer flexible working policies, something that is often requested by job candidates in the recruitment process. This is yet another reason for the Employment Rights Bill to carefully balance the needs of both individuals and employers.
It is clear that businesses are aware of the importance of this problem, as only 13% of employers surveyed did not offer any support measures. “As always, the government will work with employers to develop innovative and comprehensive health-and-wellbeing programmes that will help reduce sickness absence rates in the long term,” Shoosmith said.
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