1 in 3 employers say more staff going into work when ill

Nick Elvin

Nearly a third of employers have reported an increase in people coming to work while they are ill, according to the annual CIPD / Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey.

The survey of nearly 600 employers found that 31% have seen an increase in so-called ‘presenteeism’ in the last 12 months. It also shows that presenteeism is more likely to have increased where there is a culture in which working long hours is seen to be the norm, and where operational demands take precedence over employee wellbeing.

Employers that have noticed an increase in presenteeism are nearly twice as likely as those that haven’t to report an increase in stress-related absence, and more than twice as likely to report an increase in mental health problems among its staff. However, despite this, 56% of organisations that have reported an increase in presenteeism haven’t taken any steps in order to discourage it.

The CIPD / Simplyhealth report found that the problem of absence and presenteeism is particularly acute in the public sector, where pressure is mounting on employees to deliver services in the face of austerity cuts.

The research also reveals that while there is little change in overall levels of absence (up from 6.6 days per employee per year in 2014 to 6.9 days in the 2015 survey), the public sector has seen a bigger increase, from 7.9 days to 8.7 days. However, this level of public sector absence is still noticeably lower than the figures the CIPD recorded before the recession.

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said: “This is the fifth year in a row in which 30% or more of employers have reported an increase in employees coming into work when they are ill. It’s a real concern that the problem of presenteeism is persisting, as we might have expected it to drop during the economic recovery as people tend to feel more secure in their jobs.

“The problem may well be a hangover from the recession but we need to address the issue of presenteeism head-on. The message to businesses is clear: if you want your workforce to work well, you have to take steps to keep them well and this means putting employee health above operational demands.”

The CIPD says more organisations should be developing employee wellbeing strategies in order to promote good health and combat presenteeism in the workplace. It suggests there should be a clear focus on values and organisational culture, quality of leadership and management, as well as early access to good quality occupational health and rehabilitation support.