Totaljobs’ recent report highlights a worrying trend for UK business: sick days are up 41% in the last three years. This increase in absenteeism is more than a reflection of individual health concerns. It signals broader issues related to workplace cultures, employee satisfaction and overall wellbeing.
In the report, 59% of HR leaders attributed an increase in sick leave to a decrease in workplace culture. Meanwhile, 55% of employers reported a drop in performance. The cycle of absenteeism creates an unhealthy situation where the remaining staff are put under more stress and burnout.
Stress, Mental Health and Absenteeism
The mental health of employees, in particular stress and burnout play a major role in the increasing number of absences. Stress-related conditions were responsible for 25% of turnover in the last year. In addition, 19% left their job due to health problems.
This trend goes beyond absences of a short duration. Around 2.8 million UK workers are currently out of work because of long-term illnesses. Experts predict that this number will rise by 53% over the next five year. These statistics highlight the need for companies to be proactive in managing employee health, both short-term as well as long-term.
Addressing Absenteeism’s Root Causes
Understanding and addressing employee stress causes is crucial for HR teams. It’s important to identify the root causes of employee stress, whether it is a lack of flexibility, insufficient mental health support or dissatisfaction about pay and autonomy.
A supportive environment that empowers employees and makes them feel valued can be a game changer. HR teams can reduce the number of sick leave days by implementing processes and supporting mechanisms that help employees manage their stress and workload.
A Strategic Management Approach to Absenteeism
Organisations can take a strategic approach to absenteeism, even if it is not possible to eliminate all sick leave. This strategy relies heavily on effective workload management. Absences can put additional pressure on colleagues and lower productivity. Businesses can reduce the impact of absenceeeism by carefully balancing their workloads and providing the necessary support.
Totaljobs revealed that around 10 million UK workers, or nearly half the workforce, lack access to basic health services such as flu vaccines and routine health checkups. Employers that combine well-being programs with effective workload management can reduce absenteeism.
Leadership and Absenteeism: The Role of Leadership
Absenteeism can only be addressed by strong leadership. Leadership teams must communicate clearly and give clear direction to break the cycle of sickness leave and decreasing productivity. But 50% of HR leaders say that lack of communication and leadership is preventing them from managing absenteeism.
Organisations need to adapt their approach in today’s changing work environment. Businesses must adapt to the changing expectations of employees and the long-term impact of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Tracking Absenteeism: A Missed Opportunity
Many businesses do not track the impact of sick leave despite its rise. While 82% now track sickness absences, 27% do not monitor how the absenteeism impacts their business. This is a missed chance to gain insights that can improve employee performance and well-being.
The hybrid working model has made it even more difficult for managers to keep track of absences. Businesses struggle to implement strategies that reduce absenteeism or improve productivity without accurate data.
How Activ people HR can support absence management
Activ People HR understands the complexities involved in managing employee absences. Our software solution allows businesses to track sick leave, monitor patterns, manage the return-to-work process, and gain valuable insight into employee well-being.
Adrian Lewis, Commercial director at Activ People HR says that managing absenteeism involves more than just recording sick days. It’s also about understanding the bigger picture. Our software allows HR teams to identify patterns in absences such as spikes at certain times or within certain departments, which can be used for targeted interventions.
The Activ People HR Platform provides HR teams the tools they need to automate return-to work processes, generate detailed absence reporting, and analyze real-time data. These insights allow businesses to identify and address underlying issues, such as stress, concerns about workload, or a lack of support for health.
With the right tools, HR can take back control. Activ People HR’s absence management software allows businesses to track, analyze, and reduce sick leave, as well as support employee wellbeing.
Companies can better manage absenteeism by adopting a data-driven, strategic approach. This will create a more productive, healthier workplace.
The original version of this article Sick days Up 41% in Workplaces appeared first on Human Resources News.
