sickness

Sickness Levels Fall Yet SMEs Fail to Tackle Absenteeism

May 6, 2011 News

Businesses which tackle the sick-note culture head on by training managers are proving that the investment pays for itself through falling absenteeism – but SMEs are still failing follow suit. Two thirds of businesses which set tough targets and managed absenteeism are now able to reduce their overall sick leave, compared with half in 2007 (See the EEF/Westfield Health report Sickness Absence and Rehabilitation Survey 2011) As a result, overall sick leave has fallen from 6.7 days – on average – per person per year in 2007, to just 5 days today. But experts believe these benefits are only being enjoyed by large companies, with as many as two thirds (66%) of SMEs still failing to recognise or tackle poor sickness absence rates (CIPD Annual survey report 2010 – Absence Management (PDF))... »

Fifth of UK Workforce Not Taking Time Off when Sick

Fifth of UK Workforce Not Taking Time Off when Sick

April 8, 2010 News

A fifth of UK employees will not take a day off work even when they are genuinely sick, new research has highlighted. The survey of 1,011 UK workers by hygiene firm SCA found that 19% of workers will not consider taking time off sick, while 26.2% will call in sick but are nervous about doing so. The research highlighted that the main reason staff were not taking sick days was because of their manager’s and colleagues’ reaction in the past when they were ill. “People worry about phoning in sick as they feel it can be misinterpreted as a lack of loyalty or commitment to the job,” said independent employment consultant and author of How to Get a Job You’ll Love, John Lees. “It’s important that when employees really are sick, they consider the effects ... »

Holiday Sick Leave Ruling is Open to Abuse

Holiday Sick Leave Ruling is Open to Abuse

September 24, 2009 News

A legal ruling allowing staff to claim back holiday time lost to illness will expose employers to exploitation, business groups have warned. The ruling made by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) may mean that workers taken ill on holiday could claim time back from employers as sick leave. The judgement follows a case in which a Spanish council worker launched a legal action after being refused the right to alter holiday plans due to injury. The ECJ ruled that if a “worker does not wish to take annual leave during a period of sick leave, annual leave must be granted to him for a different period”. It was not specified when the worker would have to report his or her sickness to the employer, or at what point an illness could trigger the right to alter holidays. The Confederation... »

Fit note to help sick employees get back to work

Fit note to help sick employees get back to work

June 17, 2009 News

A new ‘fit note’ is to be introduced by the government next year to help employees get back to work as soon as they are able. While still under consultation, the new system is due to be introduced in April 2010. The government hopes it will replace the current ‘sick note culture’ by helping more people stay in employment, rather than drifting into long-term sickness absence. Unlike the current system, which focuses on how long a person should be given complete leave from work, one of the main proposals under the reforms is a ‘may be fit for some work now’ option. This will require GPs to consider how a person could be eased back into the workplace, with options including a phased return to work, altered hours or amended duties. GPs may also be able to re... »

Sickness

Employers to Spell Out Sickness Policy

November 14, 2008 News

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged employers to tell staff to take time off work to recover when they are ill, as it found that sick employees are dragging themselves into work for fear of giving a bad impression. The survey, conducted for Benylin, found that 73% of employers would prefer staff to stay at home and recover when they are sick, rather than spend an unproductive day in the office. It also found that 57% of staff would not take a day off unless they were severely ill. BCC policy director Chris Hannant said: “In the current economic environment employees may feel the need more than ever to go beyond the call of duty and work through an infectious illness. However, this is not the way to make a positive impression. Given the gap between employer and employee v... »