Sickness absence falling across UK
According to new research into sickness absence, a record number
of people took no sick days whatsoever last year.
The EEF/Westfield Health 2011 Sickness Absence Survey, carried
out by insurance firm Westfield Health and EEF, the manufacturers'
organisation, found that absence due to sickness continues to be on
a downward trend across UK businesses.
Whilst the average worker took 6.7 days of sick leave in 2007,
that had dropped to just five days in 2010. Forty-five per cent of
employees took no sick days last year at all.
Reasons behind the drop in sickness absence include the
toughening up of absence targets and new strategies to train
managers in how best to handle sickness absence.
Firms who had trained their managers in this issue were found to
be one third more likely to be able to lower their sickness absence
across the board.
EEF Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Sayeed Khan, said, "The
continued downward trend in sickness absence is a welcome
recognition of efforts by companies and government to get people
back to work.
"It is also clear that doing the basics such as training line
managers and GPs in managing sickness absence pays dividends," he
added.