Short-term absence rates have begun to plateau, while stress, anxiety and depression have resulted in a rise in long-term sickness absence for many companies, a major survey of the manufacturing industry has found.
The EEF/Westfield Health 2012 annual sickness-absence report – the ninth national survey of EEF members – shows that, after a year-on-year decline in short-term absence, the overall sickness-absence rate for all employees has now flattened and remains unchanged from 2010 (2.2 per cent).
The survey also reveals a divergence between short and long-term absence, with almost 40 per cent of companies seeing an increase in the latter in 2011, largely as a result of conditions such as stress and depression.
While 72 per cent of companies have more than 40 per cent of employees with zero absence – up from 58 per cent in 2010 – the issue of presenteeism is a growing problem, with 55 per cent of companies expressing concerns about its impact on long-term health, short-term illness and unmotivated employees. However, only 5 per cent of companies currently monitor the cost of presenteeism.
The levelling out of sickness-absence rates has prompted EEF to call on the Government to inject new momentum by implementing the recommendations of the Frost/Black report, which, among other things, proposed the creation of an independent assessment service to help individuals with health problems, and those at risk of extended sickness absence.
The report, which was published in November last year, is still awaiting the Government’s response.
Commenting on the survey’s findings, EEF chief medical advisor Prof Sayeed Khan said: “There are now signs that the wins to reduce short -term absence are being exhausted and we need a fresh approach from Government to address the more deep-rooted problems, such as stress and back pain.”
“For its part, government must now implement the Frost/Black recommendations as a matter of urgency. In particular, it must embed the fit-note culture through the training of all doctors and support companies that invest in rehabilitation. At the same time, companies should get involved and make the fit note work for them.”
On the subject of the fit note, 30 per cent of survey respondents say it has made a difference, with 11 per cent finding it less helpful. But almost 60 per cent of firms say it has made no difference to date. Consequently, EEF believes that more effort is needed to embed the fit note into work culture and it wants to see the electronic fit note introduced as soon as possible.
The organisation also believes that there should be greater emphasis on training GPs in the use and merits of the fit note; the EEF expressed its disappointment that only 3500 GPs out of 40,000 have so far undergone training to this effect.
Employers who take a proactive approach to managing sickness absence are more likely to see the benefits than those who do not. On average, those who do not have any barriers to rehabilitation have 1.6 fewer days of sickness absence for every employee than those who do identify barriers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those who proactively contacted their GP about potential workplace adjustments they could make to assist an employee back into work were more likely to receive fit notes with the ‘may be fit for work’ option checked.
To help encourage companies to be more proactive in this area, EEF believes the Government should follow the Frost/Black report by introducing tax relief for vocational rehabilitation treatments, such as physiotherapy – a proposal also supported by IOSH.
A more in-depth article based on the survey’s findings will feature in the June issue of SHP. Meanwhile, Prof Sayeed Khan will be speaking in the Occupational Health Theatre at this week’s Safety & Health Expo.
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.
Short term absenteeism always reduces in recession. When redundancy is mentioned or in smaller SME’s, where it is often percieved that having a few days off to get over a cold is ‘swinging the lead’ and makes one a target. This leads to ‘presenteeism’. Add low wages and rising costs and people tend to take longer off work with stress related issues or compounded injuries such as bad backs. It is also percieved that being off for a while will be seen as genuine and repercussions won’t follow.