Home building firm Taylor Woodrow has cut its employee absence to less than half the construction industry average, after signing up with a private healthcare provider.
Taylor Woodrow signed a deal with Bupa in 2003 to look after its 4,500 building site and office staff in the UK.
The average number of days the firm’s employees took off sick has dropped from 3.2 days to 2.8 days a year. This compares to an industry average of 6.6 days lost per person per year.
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Staff have access to advice on work-related and personal issues and counselling, while managers can call on the occupational health team to assist employees returning to work after an illness or injury.
Bupa also carries out a pre-employment assessment to check that potential new recruits are fit for the type of work they will be carrying out.
Alec Luhaste, Taylor Woodrow’s HR director, said: “As new employees join the company, Bupa has performed an important role in ensuring the suitability of our workforce.
“In the two years since we began working with the company, we have seen a real improvement – particularly in the area of sickness leave.”
