What can employers do if they have an increase in sickness absence?

Sickness absence is on the rise, so what can you do to mitigate this

According to recent reports, there has been a significant “rise in sick leave” in the UK, with data showing a surge of almost 41% in sick days taken over the past three years, largely attributed to factors like increased stress, burnout, and mental health issues post-pandemic, which in turn has impacted business productivity negatively.

Research by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development found staff took an average 7.8 sick days in the past year, up from 5.8 before the pandemic. The trade group said the rise was a “worry” and blamed stress, Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. The rise in sickness absences comes amid a growing demand from employees to work more flexibly and to work from home in response to caring responsibilities, rising costs and stress at work.

What employers can do?

1. Policy and procedures

Establish a clear and well-communicated sickness absence policy outlining reporting procedures, required documentation (fit notes), and consequences for excessive absences.

Regularly review and update the policy to reflect changing circumstances.

2. Monitoring and data analysis

Track employee absence data to identify patterns and trends, including reasons for absence and departments with high rates.

Use the data recorded to address potential issues and target interventions.

3. Communication and support

Encourage open communication between employees and managers regarding health concerns.

Conduct regular check-ins with employees experiencing high absence rates.

An employer can refer an employee with a health condition to Occupational Health (OH), a service that provides medical assessments and advice on how an employee’s health may impact their ability to work, allowing for potential adjustments or support to be implemented.

Key points about Occupational Health referrals

The purpose is to assess an employee’s health concerns, particularly when they might affect their job performance or attendance due to illness or disability.

The employer starts by discussing the referral with the employee to obtain their permission and then submits a referral form detailing the employee’s health concerns and job role, and an occupational health professional conducts an assessment, often including a medical examination.

The benefits of an Occupational Health Report

An occupational health report provides several benefits, including:

• Assessing an employee’s fitness for their job role.
• Identifying potential workplace health risks.
• Recommending adjustments to work duties to manage health conditions.
• Supporting safe return to work after illness or injury.
• Ensuring legal compliance.
• Promoting employee wellbeing by proactively identifying and addressing health concerns within the workplace.

When to refer to Occupational Health?

• Frequent absences due to illness
• Concerns about an employee’s ability to perform job tasks due to health issues
• After a workplace accident or exposure to hazardous substances
• When discussing potential reasonable adjustments for a disability

Points to consider

Always obtain the employee’s consent before referring them to occupational health. Occupational health assessments are confidential, and the results are usually only shared with the employer on a need-to-know basis.  Employers should discuss the OH recommendations with the employee and implement appropriate adjustments based on the findings.

Work-life balance initiatives

Promote flexible working arrangements like part-time hours, remote work, and staggered schedules.

Encourage employees to take breaks and utilise their holiday time.

Regularly review workloads to ensure manageable levels of pressure.

Manager training

Train managers on how to effectively manage sickness absence, including conducting return-to-work interviews.

Equip managers to identify signs of stress or burnout and provide appropriate support.

Reasonable adjustments

Consider reasonable adjustments for employees with long-term health conditions, including modified work schedules or assistive technology, for example:

• Screen readers to convert text on the screen to speech for visually impaired individuals.
• Voice recognition software to input text using voice commands.
• Screen magnifiers to enlarge text on the screen.
• Adaptive keyboards with larger keys or special layouts.
• Closed captioning for videos.
• Assistive listening devices for hearing difficulties.

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Promote healthy lifestyle choices through wellness programs, health information sessions, and access to fitness facilities.  Offer stress management techniques and mental health support.

Important considerations

Ensure that employee medical information is handled with confidentiality and only shared with relevant individuals. Address each employee’s situation on a case-by-case basis, considering their specific health needs.  Always comply with employment laws regarding sickness absence and disability discrimination.

If you would like any help in reducing sickness absence in your business or organisation or in implementing any initiatives to increase employee wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact the RELA team on 01983 897003.