Member Article

Absence Costs Economy £12 Billion

Sickness absence costs the British economy £12 billion a year, with stress amongst the biggest problems for workers.

The figures come as part of a Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department for Work and Pension (DWP) and Department of Health (DH) report launching a new strategy - ‘Health Work and Well-Being’ which aims to improve the occupational health of the British workforce. Lord Hunt of Kings Heath said: “The workplace in the 21st century is a fast paced, dynamic and highly stimulating environment. It brings a number of benefits and opportunities, however, with these benefits comes new risks.

Sickness absence and return to work policies are only worth having if they have the full support of directors and top-level managers. After all, leadership starts from the top.“ HSE’s stress management standards, launched in 2004, give employers some simple steps to follow to identify stress at an early stage and a simple guide to possible measures that can be taken to reduce the problem before it gets to the point of staff absence.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .