Employers are seeing an increase in staff being off sick | Consensus HR – Herts, Beds
On the 18th of September 2023 our Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development wrote the following article on Employers are seeing an increase in staff being off sick which provides some interesting statistics. This is a subject we have written a number of blogs on in the past and full details can be seen at the bottom of the page.
Employers are seeing an increase in staff being off sick.
A quarter of employers have seen an increase in staff being off sick compared to a year ago, according to a new survey carried out by YouGov for Acas.
This found that while 9% had seen a decrease, 26% of employers had seen an increase in sickness absence.
Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “Bosses that handle sickness absences effectively can help to reduce it, prevent any unnecessary disputes at work and stay within the law. Acas has advice and training for businesses on how to prevent sickness absences and address the causes.”
Reducing sickness absence
Acas advises employers to:
- put in place an absence policy that is clear on what is expected of managers and their staff if they need time off work!
- create a culture at work where staff feel supported and comfortable raising problems that they trust will be taken seriously!
- deal with the causes of absence such as work-related stress or workers struggling to balance work and caring responsibilities.
Good work-life balance
To help staff, employers should:
- encourage them to speak up if they feel they are under too much pressure at work.
- train managers to spot signs of a poor work-life balance.
- offer flexible working where possible!
- encourage breaks from work, including during the day and making sure employees take holidays!
- regularly review workloads.
- lead by example as, if managers and senior leaders have a good work-life balance, this will create a culture for employees to follow.
Our HR comment: Employers are seeing an increase in staff being off sick.
Matthew P Chilcott, FCIPD, ACEL, Owner of Consensus HR comments: “This article from our Chartered Institute demonstrates some excellent examples of how to ensure your team are kept in work and enjoying what they are asked to do for their benefit / health but also for the benefit and success of the business. The Pandemic and recent years have thrown many obstacles at businesses and their success but businesses owners / managers always need to remember the welfare of their team. At Consensus HR we actively encourage all our clients to use these methods suggested by the CIPD and have clearly written and user friendly / legal Policies & Procedures to use when dealing with sick members of the team.”
Here are a few of our previous blogs written on the subject: –
- How to Manage Long-Term Sickness
- Anxiety and working from home fuel rise in long-term sickness, says minister.
YOUR OUTSOURCED HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
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