Long-term absenteeism has always been a concern for businesses, but recent figures show that the number of people leaving the workforce due to a health problem is growing by 300,000 per year.
The new data shows that 4 million working-age people in Britain are unemployed due to poor health, while a further 3.9 million suffer from health problems that limit the type of work they can do, more than double from the level of 1.5 million in 2013. people.
This has major implications for businesses, with potential impacts on everything from productivity and profitability to recruitment, training and retention. Furthermore, companies lose valuable talent if employees are not supported and leave their jobs, leaving them with the costs of recruitment and training, and even potential discrimination and unfair dismissal claims.
But long-term absenteeism does not have to be a headache. With the right policies and procedures in place, you have the best chance of supporting your employees back in the workplace and reducing costs for your business.
Common reasons for long-term absenteeism due to illness
According to the CIPD, the most common problems reported by people with long-term health conditions are mental health problems such as anxiety or depression – with 63 percent of employees citing poor mental health as the main cause of their absence and 76 percent of employees reporting that they had had taken time off due to stress. Other common problems include mobility problems and problems with endurance/breathing/fatigue.
Regardless of the duration of the absence, you need to consider a wide range of factors, including the employee’s condition, what treatment the employee is receiving (and will receive), how long the employee has been and is likely to be ill. time off, what reasonable adjustments can be made to assist them in their work, and the appropriate policy and procedure for continued payment of wages in the event of illness.
Addressing the cause
Because stress is a significant factor in long-term absenteeism, implementing policies and procedures to help prevent employee stress and burnout is critical.
It’s crucial to engage with your employees and create an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their concerns, such as during regular face-to-face meetings. Once you understand the pressures they face, such as workload or staff shortages, you can see what you can do to address these pressures. This can be done through measures such as training and mentoring, recruiting more staff, offering flexible working or adjusting objectives.
Ensuring that an employee feels valued in a job can reduce stress. This also includes reviewing compensation packages and benefits. If you have the resources, you can offer a choice of benefits. For example, you could offer a variety of training options, which would be more attractive to employees focused on developing their careers, or you could offer perks such as gym memberships and additional annual leave, which might be preferred by those who are more focus on individual benefits.
Employee engagement can also be increased through social activities and team building exercises, while at the same time preventing them from feeling isolated. Setting up a support network or a buddy/mentor program can also help.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of companies training employees to become mental health first responders, ready to support colleagues with mental health issues. This may contribute to higher employee retention. Meanwhile, Employee Assistance Programs are another added benefit that have been proven to be an effective tool in helping employees cope with stressful periods.
Management of long-term absenteeism
When dealing with any case of long-term sick leave, there are some important considerations you need to make to ensure you are meeting your legal obligations and following best practice advice.
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Have a policy
There is no legal requirement to have a specific long-term sick leave policy, but it is often a good idea. This should include matters such as how sick leave should be reported, details of any payments, reasonable adjustments, the ability to seek medical advice and the process for dealing with long-term sick leave.
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Keep in touch with employees
You should keep in touch with absent employees, but make sure this is done sensibly. It is good practice to train line managers on how best to do this so that the employee feels heard, but not pressured. In addition to more informal telephone or email contact, you should arrange wellbeing review meetings regularly and/or after key landmarks such as surgery or a consultant appointment. These can help you understand when they can return to work and how you can best help them do so.
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Return to work process
You should have a formal return to work strategy in place for when people return to work after a long absence. Return-to-work interviews after each absence should be supportive and discuss ongoing adjustments where necessary. It may be helpful for a long-term sick employee to return “in phases,” if medically advised, and build back up to usual hours and duties over a period of time.
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Be aware of potential issues with disability discrimination
You will be required to make all ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support employees with their disability under the Equality Act 2010 – disability includes long-term physical and mental health conditions. Therefore, it is a good idea to include provisions in your handbook making it clear that absences related to a person’s disability will be treated separately from other absenteeism. Discrimination cases have no cap on damages, so getting this wrong can be very expensive.
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Conduct a risk analysis
When someone returns to work, carrying out a risk assessment can help you decide on any reasonable adjustments needed to their work or working environment. Effective risk assessments of roles and/or the needs of individual employees can help prevent absenteeism from occurring or becoming prolonged. Make sure that you cooperate with the employee on the assessment itself and any adjustments.
Where to start
Long-term absenteeism is a complex part of employment law, but if you get it wrong there is a very real chance of expensive lawsuits. There are several important factors for companies to consider, with policies and procedures in place for dealing with employees with health issues at work and during any absences. Employers must ensure they remain compliant with the law to achieve the best possible outcome for both the employee and the business.
Emma McGrath is a professional support lawyer at Citation