Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

ShieldingCoronavirusHealth surveillanceOH service deliveryReturn to work and rehabilitation

Four out of 10 OH providers experiencing coronavirus-related surge in demand

by Nic Paton 24 Jul 2020
by Nic Paton 24 Jul 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

More than four out of 10 occupational health providers have seen a surge in demand for their services because of Covid-19, but for nearly a third the coronavirus pandemic has led to their work declining, in some cases sharply, according to a survey by SOM, the Society of Occupational Medicine.

The poll of 94 members found 26% reporting that demand had increased “significantly” in the fortnight to June 10, and 16% had seen demand go up “somewhat”.

By comparison, 22% had found demand had decreased significantly or, for 8%, somewhat. For about a quarter, 28%, their work had stayed largely the same.

The survey was made up of large providers (41%), self-employed providers (30%), small providers (25%) and medium-sized providers (4%).

Of those reporting new demand, the vast majority (87%) was coming from existing customers, the survey concluded.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, large employers (43%) made up the bulk of this extra demand, followed by the NHS (30%) and small and medium-sized enterprises (30%).

In terms of what sort of services were being sought, the most common areas were advice on the vulnerable or shielded groups, fitness for work assessments, advice on working from home (including reasonable adjustments), support with health surveillance, and health and safety assessments. Advice for parents on the effect of school closures on work was deemed the least common area where support was wanted or needed.

The vast majority of staff supported during this period had been working from home (43%), followed by those working at their normal place of work (35%) or furloughed (19%).

Others included those off work and on company sick pay (12%), on statutory sick pay (3%) or who had been made redundant (2%).

When it came to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff returning to the workplace, offering access to counselling and employee assistance programmes was a popular response, along with psychological services and helplines, guidance and webinars, pointers to government or public advice and risk assessments.

More generally, the main occupational health return-to-work support issues respondents were facing were psychological, social distancing and medical assessments, the ending of shielding, and managing a reluctance to return to work, the survey found.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Managing safety and health surveillance were also highlighted as key challenges in this context.

OH job opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more OH jobs

Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
Over-50s to be offered flu jab this autumn in ‘unprecedented’ expansion
next post
Demotion during post-pandemic restructuring

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Two-thirds of school leaders suffering mental ill health

6 May 2025

‘Healthy work’ about much more than access to...

28 Apr 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

How to help employees quit vaping before new...

22 Apr 2025

NHS urging people to check for cancer warning...

22 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...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 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today