Absenteeism & Presenteeism need attention now so that businesses can proactively address them to reduce costs and support their workers
Absenteeism & Presenteeism are two major indicators of the overall health and productivity of a workforce, and both are interconnected.
If the causes behind the two ‘isms’ are not addressed, it can also have serious consequences on your organisation’s effectiveness and its bottom line. If overlooked and left unchecked, they can become an unnecessary drain on the organisation’s worker productivity and financial resources.
Problems related to stress, anxiety and depression account for almost half of all working days lost in the UK and it is estimated that employers pay £9 billion in sick pay and associated costs as a result.
Poor employee wellbeing, which is associated with illness and mental health issues, is linked to increased levels of Absenteeism & Presenteeism. Employee wellbeing is important, as indicated by a recent survey which showed that 80% of organisations deem it central to their success in the next 12-18 months.
Absenteeism occurs when people are sick, injured, unwell or are unable to come to work due to circumstances such as bereavement.
The Office for National Statistics estimates that 141.4 million working days are lost due to sickness or injury in the UK, this is equivalent to 4.4 days per worker.
Analysis published in January 2020 found that poor mental health alone costs UK employers up to £45bn each year, comprising £7bn in absence costs and up to £29bn in presenteeism costs.
The silent sufferer that is Presenteeism
Presenteeism occurs when people go into work despite feeling unwell, either physically or mentally, and they are unable to give their best.
Findings from a survey of 26,393 employees and 130 businesses across the UK suggest that that the problem is a real one and that it is only getting worse.
It has been estimated that Presenteeism’s impact on productivity is 12 times higher than Absenteeism.
45% of UK workers have admitted they experienced Presenteeism in 2019, which is an increase of almost one-third from 2014 (29%).
Similarly, Deloitte found that only 36% of UK employees were taking allocated time off when they experienced health issues, rather than calling in sick.
However, just being physically present is not good for people or your business, when people come to work ill, they are at risk of exposing their co-workers to infection and when hidden disabilities are not highlighted and supported it can easily create a toxic work environment.
To know more about breaking presenteeism of mental health and hidden disabilities book a confidential consultation with Linda at www.lindasage.com/book-a-call How much could your business be saving?
#mentalhealth #workplacehealth #stress #business #leadership #leadership #productivity #hr
To know more about Linda:
Website: – www.lindasage.com
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My book – Caring for the Caregiver – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1974635651
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