Recently published research carried out in 2020 by Westfield Health, shows a significant increase in mental health-related workplace absenteeism costs to £14billion. Absenteeism is defined as an individual staying away or being absent from work without good reason. Over the last year absenteeism is a rising concern due to the pandemic and individuals finding it difficult to adjust to a ‘new norm’.
The research consisted of a survey being undertaken, asking over 1,600 employees and HR leaders across England, focusing on their experiences in the COVID-19 pandemic. This included their views on support from their employer, productivity and mental health. Below we have provided a summary of the findings and top tips on how you can increase the support and wellbeing of your staff.
Results from the research included*:
- Absences due to mental health increased by 10% during 2020 as people struggled to adapt to their new working climates
- Mental health days off increased by 10% in 2020, costing the economy an extra £1.3bn
- 24% of employees are looking for further wellbeing support, and 28% want long-term changes to the way they work
- 26% are becoming increasingly anxious about work
- Over one in five (22%) employees are concerned about losing their job
- 35% said their mental health has declined since the start of the pandemic
- 27% of all employees are less engaged than the previous year
- 76% said they feel their productivity has fallen since last year
Top tips on how you can increase the support and wellbeing of your staff:
- Increase communication with staff and encourage discussion about their anxieties
- Track and monitor progress – If there are times where workload is high, other tasks can be postponed
- Ask for regular feedback to help implement changes
- Set reasonable and achievable targets
- Encourage employees to take regular breaks
- Utilise Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) – our sister company FusionHR offer EAP as part of their wellbeing services, click here for information
- Encourage the practice of mindfulness and breathing techniques – take a look at our wellbeing workouts by clicking here
SAM, as absence management software for schools, can help to spot trends identifying stress or workload pressures, in particular areas or patterns in absence for a particular employee that can then be addressed. You can add Fit Notes, Occupational Health Reports and Return to Work documents within SAM, all helping you to hold regular meetings and increase contact by providing you with the information you need to make decisions. SAM supports you in applying a fair process for all employees and can ultimately help you to reduce absence and improve wellbeing by supporting staff when they need it most. If you don’t currently use SAM, get in touch with one of the team to book a demo by clicking here or call 01924 907319. If you need help with wellbeing and supporting staff, why not speak to our sister company FusionHR or check out their website.
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