As employee absence levels decrease, presenteeism, stress and mental health problems in the workplace are on the rise.
As employee absence levels decrease, presenteeism, stress and mental health problems in the workplace are on the rise. These are the findings of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) latest annual absence management survey.
The survey, which received responses from 667 organisations, shows that employees took an average of 6.8 days off in the last 12 months compared with 7.7 days off the previous year.
The fall in absence levels coincides with almost a third of employers reporting an increase in the number of people going into work ill.
The threat of redundancies and concerns over job security are shown to contribute to such 'presenteeism', with organisations that are expecting to make redundancies in the next six months more likely to report an increase in employees going into work when unwell, than employers that are not expecting to cut jobs.
Stress-related absence also appears to be on the increase, with 40% of employers reporting a rise over the past year and only 10% reporting that the problem had decreased. Stress continues to feature as the most common cause of long-term absence, for the second year running. The level of reported mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, among employees is also on the increase. More than twice the number of employers reported an increase in mental health problems in 2012 (44%) than in 2009 (21%).
Organisations who have noted an increase in presenteeism over the past year are more likely to report an increase in stress-related absence over the same period (52% compared with 38% of those who did not report an increase in people coming in to work ill).
Similarly, they are more likely to report an increase in mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression (62% compared with 35% of those who did not report an increase in people coming into work ill).
Commenting on the survey findings, Dr Jill Miller, research adviser at CIPD, said: “Continuing economic uncertainty and fears over job security appears to be taking its toll on employees. We are seeing employees struggling into work to demonstrate their commitment, suggesting presenteeism can be a sign of anxiety. Failing to address employees' concerns is likely to confound the issue, impact on morale and commitment and may cause or exacerbate stress or mental health problems.
“We urge employers to examine whether lower absence levels within their own organisations are as a result of more effective absence management or if they reflect the negative impact of presenteeism.â€
Helen Dickinson, people director at healthcare solutions provider Simplyhealth which helped carry out the survey, agreed that the link between presenteeism and job insecurity is unsurprising. But she also stated: "It's good to see well-being strategies increasing amongst businesses, with the survey showing 55% of organisations now have one in place compared to only 30% in 2008.
"The vital role of line managers within wellbeing strategies cannot be disputed. Early detection of health issues and ensuring the correct support is in place helps people with health problems stay in or return to work.â€
