Employee absence is continually on the rise and increasingly attributed to factors such as mental health. We look at five key tenets of employee wellbeing and offer ideas on how to address and improve each one in order to make your workplace happier and more productive.
A crisis in employee absence
According to the Office for National Statistics, the annual workplace absence rate for UK companies is around 5%. This is around three times higher than it was at the start of the decade.
In 2020, the number of days lost to all sickness absences in the UK was 118 million. This rose to 149 million the following year and reached an all-time high of 185 million in the most recent dataset, which was compiled in 2022. By all accounts, the rate is showing no signs of slowing down.
In the region of 10% of all sickness absence is due to mental ill-health, representing the fourth largest annual cause of employee absence. The British Safety Council calculates 18 million working days are lost each year to poor mental health.
Startlingly, the annual cost of mental illness absence to UK employers for resultant factors like temporary replacement staff, lost production hours, missed service deadlines and slumps in business development is estimated by Deloitte to be around £51 billion.
What is employee wellbeing?
Clearly, there is an unmistakable upward trend in employee absence, which many industry professionals and researchers ascribe to increasing stress and anxiety in workplaces of all types. The erosion of ‘employee wellbeing’ is taking place at an alarming rate. But what do we mean by that term?
In general terms, ‘wellbeing’ is a state of being healthy, happy, secure and comfortable, both physically and mentally. Employee wellbeing extends these dimensions to the workplace, reflecting how individuals feel and function professionally. Demonstrable wellbeing typically involves five interconnected ideals:
- Physical: Maintaining health through regular exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and taking proactive steps to prevent illness and manage existing conditions.
- Social: Having a reliable network of friends, family and colleagues, with a sense of belonging, support, and connection.
- Financial: Feeling confident about one’s financial situation, managing money effectively, initiating longer-term planning and having the means to deal with unplanned outlay.
- Occupational: Occupational well-being comprises job satisfaction, career growth, work-life balance, and clear alignment between one’s role, personal values, and goals.
- Mental: Improving emotional health and psychological stability, developing the ability to cope with stress, seeking help when it is needed and having the resources on hand to enable this.
Ways to improve wellbeing in the workforce
The data suggests that employers are falling short in supporting one or more aspects of employee wellbeing, resulting in the rising epidemic of absence. So how can employers mitigate this crisis in the workforce?
Here are a few ideas:
- Physical: Regular exercise helps prevent chronic conditions, improves cardiovascular health and combats depression. This reduces absenteeism and healthcare costs, keeping employees healthier and thereby more present at work. Try designated exercise spaces, discounts for fitness club membership and employee step-counting challenges.
- Social: Strong social connections at work create a sense of belonging, support, and trust. When employees have authentic relationships with colleagues, they feel seen, valued and understood. Try group walks, mentorship programmes, hobby societies and external volunteering incentives.
- Financial: Rising living costs, mounting debt and broader economic uncertainties can all make it difficult for employees to concentrate on their day-to-day jobs. Look at regular cost-of-living salary reviews, free financial management/advice classes, performance-related bonuses and high-quality pension provision.
- Occupational: When employees clearly see how their work aligns with organisational goals, they are more engaged, motivated and happier in their work. Look at regular career development meetings for goal-setting, identifying individual paths for advancement and engendering a culture where honesty, responsibility and ethical behaviour are recognised.
- Mental: Work-life balance policies and workplace mental health support ensure that employees are in a better place to manage day-to-day challenges more effectively. Look at flexible working-hour options, onsite and virtual counselling, mindfulness and stress management programmes, training for managers in empathetic questioning and active listening.
Occupational Mental Health training for businesses
It is self-evident that reducing employee absence makes financial sense. Later this year, Birmingham City University is offering a Short Course designed specifically for employers and HR professionals, entitled Occupational Mental Health. The course is designed to help employers better support and gradually reduce workplace issues around mental health. It is delivered by Professor Craig Jackson, a widely-respected and hugely experienced practitioner in the field of occupational health psychology.
Professor Jackson’s course takes a down-to-earth, practical and solution-focused approach to a wide spectrum of mental health challenges. It uses real-life case study examples from actual workplaces that delegates will very often relate to and recognise from their own day-to-day experience.
To register an interest in this course, please click below to complete a short enquiry form and we will be in touch when the start date is finalised.
