Wellness Management

The 2008 Charted Institute of Personnel and Development ( CIPD )Annual Absence survey found that workplace absence is costing the average employer £666 per employee every year.

There are significant business consequences of sickness absence such as suffer loss of productivity, lowered morale of existing team members, business disruption, increased on costs to cover the absence (such as overtime payments and temporary recruitment) and potential customer relations issues.

Presenteeism is becoming a recognised term. This is defined as ‘the loss in productivity that occurs when employees come to work but function at less than full capacity because of ill health’ (The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2007).

Work-Life Health encourage organisations to develop a wellness culture so that employees are less likely to develop sickness and therefore minimise organisational absence . A positive culture maintains morale and productivity.

Key Facts
  • Each week: one million workers take time off because of sickness and most return to work within days; but around 17 000 people reach their sixth week of statutory sick pay; and at this point, almost one in five people will stay off sick and eventually leave work.
  • Work is essential to health, well-being and self-esteem. When ill health causes long-term sickness absence, a downward spiral of depression, social isolation and delayed recovery make returning to work less likely. Reducing long-term sickness absence helps maintain a healthy and productive business and safeguards everyone’s jobs (Working for a Healthier Tomorrow March 2008).
  • With a natural recovery rate of only 20% for depression and 5% for anxiety disorders, the majority of people need support to achieve recovery from common mental health problems and to help keep them in work ( Layard, Clark, Knapp and Mayraz. Implementing the NICE guidelines for depression and anxiety 2006)
  • Managers sometimes avoid contact with employees who are off sick, for several reasons, however the evidence clearly shows that contact with employees via managers and supervisors is best; training in how best to achieve this is needed.It is the making of contact rather than the content that is the most important aspect. (British Occupational Health Research Foundation, Workplace Interventions for people with Common Mental Health Problems- Evidence Review September 2005)
  • Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related legislation, employers are required to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes taking action to protect the health and well-being of employees especially if they have become more vulnerable to risk because of illness, injury or disability.
  • Disabled employees are protected by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. This means that employers have to make reasonable adjustments to their working conditions or arrangements to make sure that disabled people are not treated less favorably than other employees. Employees whose injury or poor health persists may become eligible for DDA protection.
Management referralsManagement referrals are independent assessments of an employee’s health and provide information in terms of fitness for work in the context of the specific components of the role. Advice on adjustments, either temporary or permanent is given. For the employee, examples of the types of information which may be given are- individual advice on self management of a condition both within and outside work, health education, information on treatment options, psychological impact of the condition.

Examples of when management referrals are advised are:-

  • When employees develop a new condition and either the employee or management need advice on how to manage the condition at work.
  • When there are concerns from either party about the safety of the employee concerned or others
  • When there has been an alteration in an employees medical condition which is causing, or could cause concern
  • Following an incident or accident either within or outside work which has the potential to cause concern
  • Where there are concerns in relation to performance at work and an underlying condition may be a cause
  • Assessment pre and post planned absence, such as surgery. Pre absence assessment allows advice/information about the surgery to be given together with opportunities to plan for rehabilitation.
  • When health advice is required for any other reason
  • If absence does occur, early referral to Occupational Health is advised to minimise the impact. (Studies such as those by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine show that the longer someone is signed off sick, the less likely they are to return to work, so early intervention and active management are crucial).