A leading occupational health expert has called for businesses to consider what they can do to celebrate World Health Day on 7 April, 2015.
Gill Monk, managing director of occupational health services provider All Health Matters Ltd, has urged employers to think about the health of their staff and how they can act to improve it.
Apart from the obvious effects of ill health on individuals and their families, absence from work costs the United Kingdom economy £14bn a year, according to the CBI, and figures released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development show the overall average cost of ill-health, per employee per year in 2014, was £609. Within that, the private sector average was £520, 43% less than the public sector average of £914.
Cost of absence includes paying the salary of the absent employee, overtime paid to other employees, additional recruitment and training overheads and loss of output and add to that the unquantifiable strain on other members of the team.
By helping business to protect their staff from work related ill health conditions, providing a healthy working environment, assisting with work-life balance and offering rehabilitation and counselling services to aid a return to work after injury or sickness, businesses can help ensure a healthier workforce and avoid those costs associated with absence from work.
Gill Monk, Managing Director of All Health Matters, said: “World Health Day reminds us that we all have a role in creating a healthier society, not only for the benefit of individuals and their families, but for companies and the wider economy.
“The costs of absence through ill-health are huge, personally and financially, and I believe that employers can, by helping to ensure their staff are healthy, play their part in promoting World Health Day.
“Whether by reducing the cost of healthcare insurance schemes, maintaining productivity levels, or cutting down on sick pay, recruitment, training and overtime costs, the investment in the health of employees can pay huge dividends for forward-thinking companies and business owners.”
