19 August 2008
Employees are pulling fewer "sickies"
CIPD survey results question if employees are becoming more morally conscious.
The average level of employee absence has reduced from 8.4 days to 8 days over the past year, according to a recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
The research is based on responses from 819 UK-based HR professionals in organizations employing a total of over 2.3 million people.
Absence levels in the public sector is highest, with an average of 9.8 days per employee.
Public sector leads in absenteeism
Only 72% of organizations record their average annual level of employee absence,
with public sector organizations most likely to do so, and private services
sector least likely.
Absence levels in the public sector is highest, with an average of 9.8 days per employee, a slight reduction on the 10.3 figure from the previous year.
Not-for-profit organizations' absence levels averaged at 8.5 days per employee per year, (also down slightly from 9.6 last year). Private companies remained the same with the average number of days off sick being 7.2 per employee.
Absenteeism costs more now than last year
Perhaps the last thing employees think about when they're calling in sick is
how much it's going to cost the company, but the survey found that the average
cost of absence has increased to £666 per employee per year, up £7
from 2007's cost.
That's quite a significant sum – yet only 40% of organizations actually measure the cost of absence.
The most likely causes for short term absence are minor illnesses such as colds, flu and stomach upsets.
Common cold most likely cause of days off
The most likely causes for short-term absence are minor illnesses such as colds,
flu and stomach upsets.
Among manual workers back pain, musculoskeletal injuries, stress and domestic responsibilities are the most commonly cited reasons for taking time off.
Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression are cited as reasons for prolonged time off, but stress is the medical condition that tops the list of causes for long-term absence among non-manual workers.
How internal comms can tackle stress issues
Short-term absence may not be as damaging
to an organization as long-term absence, and if the primary cause for the latter
is stress, then according to Kent
J. Martini, CEO, RSVP Stress, the internal
communication function has a significant role to play in reducing it.
"Improving communications within an organization, for example being open, honest and encouraging frequent communication, is one of the best ways to reduce stress in the workplace,” Martini says.
How to manage staff absenteeism
Absenteeism is a sensitive
issue, and organizations need to tread carefully when trying to manage
it. Even if stomach upsets and colds may not be good enough reasons to take
time off work, organizations need to dig deeper and look at why employees really
feel the need to take this time away from the office.
When looking at ways to manage staff absenteeism, the survey found that flexible working was one of the top three most highly rated approaches to managing long-term absence, along with occupational health support.
Short-term absence can be managed by having return-to-work interviews, regular
reviews of attendance and disciplinary procedures. The interviews could be
an effective opportunity for one-on-one, face-to-face catch-ups between managers
and their staff.
The importance of wellbeing programs
The Hub reported earlier this
year that 64% of businesses surveyed by UK insurance group, Norwich
Union Healthcare, believe employee wellbeing has a direct impact on the
productivity levels of their workforce.
A further 79% of business believe they have a “duty of care” towards their employees and sickness absence was companies’ most pressing workplace health concern (40%).
Flexible working was one of the top three most highly rated approaches to managing long-term absence.
Despite these findings, only a third of the organizations in CIPD's research reported having an employee wellbeing strategy in place. These companies offered benefits such as counselling services, stop smoking support, employee assistance programs, advice on healthy eating and subsidised gym membership.
So, although the slight reduction in employee absence levels is promising, it seems that the UK has a long way to go in terms of employee wellbeing and managing the amount of time off for illness that employees take.
Have your say
It could be argued that employee stress, engagement and wellbeing all go hand
in hand. Are you, as an internal communicator, involved in
managing these issues? If so, how? Do you partner with HR to deal with employee
absence?
What kind of wellbeing benefits does your organization offer? Why do you think absence levels have decreased overall?
Share your experiences and opinions with the Hub's readers by leaving a comment below.
Recommended resources:
Six ways better communication can reduce workplace stress
Companies unwilling to invest in employee "wellbeing" programs
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