Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Sickness absence managementHR practiceSickness absenceAbsence

Employees bring sickness to work as absence levels drop

by Laura Chamberlain 9 Oct 2012
by Laura Chamberlain 9 Oct 2012

Falling absence levels may point to a rise in presenteeism rather than successful absence management strategies, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Research by the CIPD and private health insurer SimplyHealth found that the average level of absence during the past year fell from 7.7 to 6.8 days per employee.

However, almost one-third (30%) of employers surveyed reported an increase in the number of people attending work when they were unwell.

The research identified job security as a major factor in presenteeism. One-third (35%) of organisations expecting to make redundancies in the next six months saw a rise in sick employees turning up to work compared with 26% of those not making job cuts.

In addition, it found that stress-related absence and mental ill health were on the rise. Exactly two-fifths of employers reported an increase in the number of workers taking time off due to stress, while 44% said that they had seen an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Dr Jill Miller, research adviser at the CIPD, warned that while the fall in absence levels may seem to be positive, the corresponding increase in presenteeism could be bad news for employers.

She said: “Not only can illness be passed on to other colleagues, but ill employees are likely to work less effectively than usual, may be more prone to making costly mistakes and take longer to recover from their illnesses.”

Miller urged employers to examine whether lower absence levels within their own organisation were as a result of more effective absence management or if they reflected the “negative impact of presenteeism”.

“Overall, a proactive approach to supporting employee wellbeing and managing absence, which includes training managers in how to manage people effectively and early access to occupational health services, remains critical for success,” she added.

For information on the benefits of using occupational health providers, view our buyers’ guide.

Avatar
Laura Chamberlain

previous post
Government to clamp down on paid civil service union activity
next post
Osborne’s ‘owner-employees’: reaction to the new employment contract

You may also like

OH urged to be vigilant as norovirus cases...

20 Mar 2023

Ending of pandemic restrictions led to sharp rise...

20 Mar 2023

Why welcome investment in OH needs to be...

20 Mar 2023

OH reform: Unpicking the new health and disability...

17 Mar 2023

OH welcomes ‘unprecedented’ government focus on health and...

17 Mar 2023

Junior doctors left ‘desperate’ by hours, workload and...

17 Mar 2023

Over-55s increasingly looking to take semi-retirement

15 Mar 2023

Health and disability white paper expected alongside Budget...

13 Mar 2023

Mental health: NICE gives go-ahead to eight digitally...

13 Mar 2023

Lack of help for adults and young people...

13 Mar 2023

  • Neurodiversity: How to make the workplace more inclusive (webinar) WEBINAR | Can your organisation truly be inclusive...Read more
  • How HR can facilitate internal talent mobility PROMOTED | Should internal talent mobility be a priority...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more
  • The Workplace Today Guide: Why it pays to support your staff’s financial health PROMOTED | The cost of living crisis has hit...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+