The number of people taking sick leave is rising and shows no signs of slowing, with HR professionals reporting it’s “the biggest problem they’ve faced over the past twelve months”, according to a survey from Simplyhealth.
The research, with 2,000 employees and 500 HR decision makers, also found that 70 percent of employers said they feel a greater responsibility to look after their employees’ health due to long NHS waiting times.
Two fifths (40 percent) of employers have noticed that employees are struggling to access NHS care and 57 percent of companies who don’t currently offer health cover are now considering it.
Health support
Healthcare sector employers were most likely to report a rise in staff sick days with 45 percent of respondents indicating this, while a similar proportion (43 percent) in the education sector reported a rise and 35 percent in manufacturing.
But more than half of employees (52 percent) said that if their employer offered a form of health cover, such as GP appointments and physio, they wouldn’t need to take so much time off work.
The researchers said it was interesting that manufacturing businesses were far more likely to offer health plans (45 percent) and medical insurance (64 percent) to their staff than employers in education and healthcare.
Employer responsibility
Employees across all industries took the most time off work for mental health and musculoskeletal issues – 5.8 and 5.7 days respectively in the past year, the research showed. The majority of employees (72 percent) also think their employer should take greater responsibility for their health at work.
The findings follow ONS estimates published earlier in June that found 2.83 million people were economically inactive in February to April 2024, primarily due to long-term sickness.
Paul Schreier, CEO at health plan provider Simplyhealth, said: “With sick days on the rise, and significant NHS waiting times, businesses are turning to private health cover so their staff can be seen quickly and stay healthy at work. It also helps them to attract and retain employees, reducing the financial burden of recruitment.”
Costs rising too
Schreier said: “With the costs of private medical insurance (PMI) going up, businesses are attracted to more affordable solutions that offer options to select the exact health services needed, whether it’s those in education needing more mental health support, or manufacturers needing more physio for back and neck problems.”
He welcomed the recent government focus on increasing the provision of workplace health support and said it was crucial that this continues to reverse the workplace sickness epidemic, as well as protecting and sustaining the NHS.
Farouk Mangera, group people director at Maria Mallaband Care Group, said: “Our industry is nothing if not for our people. With this data showing the healthcare sector is one of those most affected by sickness absence, it’s vital employers in the industry do all they can to support the health of their whole workforce.
“We have been addressing this by supporting the lives of our colleagues through implementing health plans and encouraging a culture where medical appointments can be easily accessed to prevent longer term issues.
“We believe the benefits of workplace health support can make a real difference to our colleagues’ wellbeing and bring to life one of our core values: caring. This helps us to deliver our purpose: to be a positive inspiration and influence for the people we work with, live with, and support.”
