| Public sector absence hits new high |
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| Wednesday, 14 May 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 2 Regional differencesThere were strong regional differences in absence levels across the UK. The North West and Yorkshire & Humberside lost the most days in 2007 (8.9 days each), followed by Wales (7.6), West Midlands (7.5), South East (7.4), South West (7.2), Scotland (6.8), Eastern (6.7), East Midlands (6.6) and Northern England (6.5). The regions with the lowest levels were Southern England (5.6), Northern Ireland (5.7) and Greater London (5.9). Dudley Lusted, head of corporate healthcare development at AXA PPP, said that short-term absence should not be an issue for employers who have a positive workplace culture where people are treated fairly and believe they have a future. He warned, however, that long-term absence – which is mainly due to stress, anxiety and depression and to back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders – was still a big problem, accounting for forty per cent of lost working time. Anxiety and depression The NHS, which continues to struggle to deal with people suffering from these conditions, is partly to blame, but arguably the bigger culprit is ineffectual management that lets people drift rather than helping them to get better. "It’s ludicrous to pay people not to work when the tools to deal effectively with these debilitating conditions, through early intervention and treatment, are so well established and readily to hand; it’s no accident that employers who provide access to this have lower absence rates than those who don’t," Lusted said. Minor ailments, such as colds, were named as the most significant cause of short-term absence, while back pain came second. Non-work-related stress, anxiety and depression was the most significant cause of long-term absence among non-manual staff. Illness was easily the most common reason for absence, but over half of employers said staff taking time off to deal with home and family responsibilities was a cause of absence. A third of employers said staff took time off to wait for medical appointments, which highlights the need to make GP opening hours more flexible. Capability-focused medical certificates Indeed, asked what three steps the government could take to help employers reduce absence, 56 per cent of respondents also asked for more flexible GP hours and 60 per cent wanted a better partnership between GPs and occupational health professionals. More than two-thirds of employers want them to prioritise the introduction of capability-focused medical certificates. “Fit notes”, as some have dubbed them, would help an employer understand what duties an employee can perform, helping them to make arrangements where possible for an earlier or phased return to work. More than two thirds of organisations (69 per cent) said they have a well-being policy, which encourages staff to lead healthier, happier lives. Seventy per cent felt that 'praise for a job well done' is the most important factor in raising staff morale. While 68 per cent of private employers believe morale is good or satisfactory in their organisations, however, only 54 per cent of public employers agreed. Related articles
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