The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is aiming to ensure that those who are off sick from work get access to the support they need at the earliest stage possible by issuing simple guidance that it says even the smallest employer can implement.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is aiming to ensure that
those who are off sick from work get access to the support they need at
the earliest stage possible by issuing simple guidance that it says
even the smallest employer can implement.
‘Management of long-term sickness absence and incapacity for work‘,
launched at the end of March, recommends an integrated programme of
services to help the 2.7 million, or so people who are currently
unemployed and claiming incapacity benefit, or employment and support
allowance (ESA).
Director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at NICE, Prof Mike
Kelly explained: “Many people who are absent from work through sickness
and incapacity are capable of being helped back into work with the
right support. We are recommending some very simple and straightforward
measures that even the smallest employer can implement – including
keeping in regular, positive contact with the staff member when they
are off sick, thereby ensuring that they don’t feel isolated.”
The guidance recommends that employers identify a suitably trained and
impartial person to talk to employees experiencing long-term, or
recurrent sickness absence, and coordinate and support any health,
occupational, or rehabilitation treatments services agreed with the
employee.
NICE also urges the Government to act, calling on the DWP to commission
and evaluate an integrated programme of support, which could include
interviews with trained advisors to discuss the help claimants need to
enter, or return to the workplace.
Head of rehabilitation at insurance provider Unum, Joy Reymond,
commented: “The guidance completely supports the approach we have
adopted at Unum in terms of our vocational rehabilitation services.
We’ve been emphasising the importance of employer engagement in
properly managing long-term sickness absence for a long time, and we
are delighted to see this approach more formally recognised.”
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
