A recent EEF study highlights a concerning trend in workplace sickness absence, with mental health issues becoming significant.
- Despite CIPD data suggesting a drop, sickness absence is indeed increasing, showing a contrast that employers need to address.
- Only 55% of companies met their absence targets, marking the lowest rate since 2008, underscoring management challenges.
- Mental health conditions are now a primary cause of absence in one out of four manufacturers, showing a need for mental health support.
- Few companies provide essential training for managers on mental health issues, signalling a gap in handling stress and depression.
The study by the manufacturer’s organisation EEF reveals a troubling rise in sickness absence due to mental health issues, contrasting sharply with CIPD’s reported reductions in general absence. This increase is detailed through a survey of 345 manufacturers covering 83,654 employees, where the overall sickness absence climbed by 0.2 days. For the first time in five years, the number of manual workers reporting zero absences has decreased, illustrating a growing issue within sectors reliant on physical labour.
Only 55% of the surveyed companies achieved their absence targets, the lowest percentage observed since 2008. This indicates significant challenges in managing workforce attendance effectively. Encouragingly, however, half of the employees maintained a perfect attendance record, and an increasing number of companies are setting absence targets, with two-fifths making workplace adjustments or offering training to address long-term absence management.
Mental health has emerged as a pressing concern, with conditions such as stress becoming the primary cause of absence in one-quarter of manufacturing businesses. Since 2009, there has been a steady uptick in absences attributed to mental health issues, spotlighting the need for enhanced responsiveness. Interestingly, despite back pain and musculoskeletal disorders affecting 38% of firms, mental health now represents a growing concern that businesses must confront.
Staggeringly, a mere 10% of companies equip their line managers with training to manage employees suffering from mental health conditions like stress or depression. Only 2% have established an open mental health disclosure policy, reflecting societal and corporate hesitance to discuss mental wellbeing openly. EEF chief medical adviser, Professor Sayeed Khan, emphasised the economic impact of mental health issues, stating that they drag on productivity and growth unless systematically addressed.
Iain Laws of Jelf Employee Benefits highlighted the paradox where organisations recognise the productivity impact of health issues, yet surprisingly few have formal systems to manage absence proactively. Adrian Lewis, from Activ Absence, noted the benefits of automating absence management, as it generally reduces absence rates by 20-30%. Prof. Khan further stressed the necessity of focusing on reducing long-term absence through improved absence management strategies.
The study underscores the imperative for employers to develop robust strategies to address mental health issues, ensuring productivity and economic stability are maintained.
