The
average cost of sickness absence has increased by 7 per cent on last year,
finds research by the CIPD.
The
survey reveals that the direct cost of sickness alone costs £522 per employee
per year based on 10 working days lost per head.
One
in 10 employees retiring early from organisations in the past year did so on
grounds of ill health.
The
research shows that minor ailments such as colds and flu are still the most
common cause of sickness absence across all employee groups.
However
stress is becoming more of a problem and now represents the single most common
cause of work-related absence among non-manual employees.
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Almost
90 per cent of employers now have procedures in place to deal with long-term
sickness according to the research. These typically involve providing sickness
absence data to line managers, involving occupational health services and
reducing sick pay after a set period off work. www.cipd.co.uk
