Employers can do more to combat sickness related absences at work
Whilst employee absences, sickness, and presenteeism are important issues to discuss, employers must work harder to make their work environment healthy.
Whilst employee absences, sickness, and presenteeism are important issues to discuss, employers must work harder to make their work environment healthy.
The success of any business or organisation depends a lot on its employees. The saying “a healthy and happy employee is a productive employee” could not be more apt.
The Centre for Mental Health has estimated that over half the cost to business of mental ill health at work is attributable to reduced productivity of employees when at work.
Research found that small businesses are experiencing higher than average absenteeism – 49 per cent of small business owners said staff were taking more than five days per year.
Whilst many are familiar with the impact sickness absence has on businesses, especially smaller organisations, little information is provided about the effect of presenteeism.
Sharing an office with employees and co-workers can be a disaster when it comes to spreading sickness, especially as the winter rolls around and windows are kept firmly shut. So it pays to know how to prevent office sickness.
The majority of UK employees go to work when they are sick, but admit they are less productive and of no benefit to the business – so why not try banning them untill they recover?
Employers facing lengthy staff sickness absences can now refer employees to the government's Fit for Work health service.
Employers facing lengthy staff sickness absences can now refer employees to the government's Fit for Work health service.
In the third of five pieces examining the most important changes or new arrivals to employment law, we take a look at the new Fit for Work programme – a new government initiative set up to help businesses manage sick leave.