Member Article

North East businesses 'show strain' under absence levels

The region’s employers have backed claims that the North East is suffering from a sickness absence problem. Manufacturing organisation EEF Northern has reported that its employee relations helpdesk has witnessed an increase of absence management related calls. The number of calls has risen by almost 50%, from its client base of almost 500 businesses across the region, since July 2006.

This comes after the North East has been branded as having the worst level of sickness absence in the UK. A recent study by EEF showed North East employees to take an average of 7.6 days sick leave per year, almost two days more than in the South East and Greater London.

Alison Valente, Assistant Director at EEF Northern, said: “Training and educating managers is key for North East employers to pro-actively manage sickness absence. A recent and major EEF survey showed that 40% of companies who train their managers report a decrease in all types of sickness absence.”

According to the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) sickness absence costs the UK £13.2 billion a year. EEF Northern actively encourages employers to pay attention to the issue and to be proactive within their organisation.

Alison said: “The most successful companies are those that take a broad and proactive approach to the well being of their employees rather than a reactive approach. Other parties have an important part to play, for example, access times for GP surgeries could be more flexible and waiting times for surgery need to be addressed.”

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