Cost of Continuing to Work when ill – Sickness Absence more Cost-effective?
According to The Work Foundation the cost of working when ill, or sickness presence, could match or account for 1.5 times more working time lost than the cost of sickness absence which has been estimated at around GBP13bn annually. Sickness absence is widely measured and monitored across the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on reducing levels of absenteeism. But could a lack of understanding around ‘presenteeism’ mean that organisations are unaware of hidden costs and missing opportunities to improve productivity along with employee health and wellbeing?
One of the UK's first studies investigating the links between sickness presence and individual performance, Why do employees come to work when ill? is published today (Friday 16 April) by The Work Foundation. It examines why employees attend work when unwell and addresses a gap in UK data on sickness presence. Researchers found that employers may be at risk of underestimating employee ill health and may be missing warning signals by focusing on absence alone.
The study also found that sickness presence was more prevalent than absence with 45% reporting one or more days working when unwell and 18% reporting one or more days' absence over the same four week period. The study also found that those who had time off sick were more likely to work when ill. A recent TUC poll found that around 20% of public and private sector employees had worked when ill within the previous month with a further 36% over the past year. Just 13% claimed they had never worked when too ill.
Lead author Katherine Ashby said, "In the current economic climate, with high job insecurity making employees more wary of taking time off, understanding the causes and effects of sickness presence is crucial. In addition to sickness absence, measuring sickness presence may provide a more reliable picture of an organisation's health-related productivity losses."
Researchers found that higher levels of sickness presence were associated
with:
- lower levels of manager assessed performance;
- lower levels of self-reported psychological wellbeing;
- higher levels of sickness absence;
- higher levels of work related stress;
- experiencing personal financial difficulties;
- higher levels of perceived pressure from managers and colleagues
to work when unwell.
Organisations need to be aware that low levels of sickness absence may not tell the whole story. Successfully tackling the underlying causes of sickness ‘presenteeism’ could improve employee wellbeing and so reduce both sickness presence and sickness absence.
According to The Work Foundation the cost of working when ill, or sickness presence, could match or account for 1.5 times more working time lost than the cost of sickness absence which has been estimated at around GBP13bn annually. Sickness absence is widely measured and monitored across the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on reducing levels of absenteeism. But could a lack of understanding around ‘presenteeism’ mean that organisations are unaware of hidden costs and missing opportunities to improve productivity along with employee health and wellbeing?
One of the UK's first studies investigating the links between sickness presence and individual performance, Why do employees come to work when ill? is published today (Friday 16 April) by The Work Foundation. It examines why employees attend work when unwell and addresses a gap in UK data on sickness presence. Researchers found that employers may be at risk of underestimating employee ill health and may be missing warning signals by focusing on absence alone.
The study also found that sickness presence was more prevalent than absence with 45% reporting one or more days working when unwell and 18% reporting one or more days' absence over the same four week period. The study also found that those who had time off sick were more likely to work when ill. A recent TUC poll found that around 20% of public and private sector employees had worked when ill within the previous month with a further 36% over the past year. Just 13% claimed they had never worked when too ill.
Lead author Katherine Ashby said, "In the current economic climate, with high job insecurity making employees more wary of taking time off, understanding the causes and effects of sickness presence is crucial. In addition to sickness absence, measuring sickness presence may provide a more reliable picture of an organisation's health-related productivity losses."
Researchers found that higher levels of sickness presence were associated
with:
- lower levels of manager assessed performance;
- lower levels of self-reported psychological wellbeing;
- higher levels of sickness absence;
- higher levels of work related stress;
- experiencing personal financial difficulties;
- higher levels of perceived pressure from managers and colleagues
to work when unwell.
Organisations need to be aware that low levels of sickness absence may not tell the whole story. Successfully tackling the underlying causes of sickness ‘presenteeism’ could improve employee wellbeing and so reduce both sickness presence and sickness absence.
blood pressure
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Relating to injury or concern.
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