SMEs suffering from sickness at work
Apr 19 2010
Businesses are losing money through employees coming to work when ill, finds a report from think tank the Work Foundation.
Some 45 per cent of employees say they have come into work when ill compared with 18 per cent having called in sick during the same period. The Work Foundation says this is lowering productivity levels and causing greater sickness absence.
According to the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, sickness ‘presenteeism’ could account for more than 1.5 times more working time lost than absenteeism.
Katherine Ashby, lead author of the report, says by employers may be able to get a better picture of how much ill health is costing their organisations by measuring sickness levels.
Personal financial difficulties, work-related stress and perceived pressure from managers and colleagues to attend work when unwell were found to be the main reasons for employees coming into work.
A recent Trades Union Congress poll found that 20 per cent of public and private sector employees had worked when ill within the previous month.
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