Feature insight - absence management
Working for a healthier tomorrow
Lisa Gillespie, HR services director at Moorepay, questions whether we are going forwards or backwards and argues recent findings are a call to action
I t is almost ten years since Dame Carol Black published the report Working for a healthier tomorrow: work and health in Britain , setting out her recommendations for reform on health, work and wellbeing. What is less commonly known is that the team behind the report also commissioned a supplementary report on the nation’s mental health, because it identified that mental health problems have a greater impact on people’s ability to work than any other group of disorders. That report was not released until July 2013. When I ask human resources (HR) professionals and employers if they think anything in either report has made a difference they will generally say they have seen little strategic output to support them in tackling the impact of ill-health in the workplace. What role do employers have in helping us stay healthy? Dealing with a sick employee is, by nature, tricky for most employers as they have a transparent interest in maintaining attendance and standards of work. Even the most empathic approach can be met with suspicion and worry, especially if the illness is an emotional or mental health problem. Earlier this year, the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) published a report – Surviving or thriving? The state of the UK’s mental health (http://bit.ly/2qRC6sv) – which provides an excellent if troubling insight into our nation’s mental health. Key findings include: ● around 65% of people said that they have experienced mental health problems, rising to 70% in women and young adults (aged 18–34) ● only 13% were found to have high levels of positive mental health ● people over 55 were more likely to take
steps to deal better with everyday life ● a staggering four in ten respondents reported experiencing depression ● one in four had experienced panic attacks. There were also stark differences in mental health between those in low income brackets (75%) and higher income households (60%), and whilst problems were higher in those out of work (85%), a high number (66%) of those in work reported mental health issues too. ...absence costs money, puts stress on co-workers and can be a minefield for employers... It is not difficult to understand why many employers feel the time and money spent by governments on commissioning this work has not been developed into clear policy for tackling the problem. The MHF report concluded that as a nation our mental health is deteriorating. We already know the National Health Service has been struggling to fund the levels of mental health treatment required, so what can employers do? What part do they have to play in resolving this crisis? If you read Dame Carol’s latest review (http://bit.ly/2jELmiH) exploring how employment can support positive improvements for those addicted to drugs and alcohol, employers are very much seen as part of the solution to overcoming deep- seated social and economic problems for those in and out of work. At the time of publication, Penny Mordant, minister of state for disabled people, said: “We are very grateful to Dame Carol Black
for her extensive work. Her findings support our plans to join up employment and health systems and as we proceed with this important work we will take Dame Carol’s findings into account.” However, as good as these reports are, employers need to see the government lead the strategic plan to put all this work – a decade of research and insight – into action, because absence costs money, puts stress on co-workers and can be a minefield for employers trying to manage these situations without finding themselves before an employment tribunal (particularly now tribunal fees have been removed). Fit notes and the Fit for Work scheme have been implemented because of the original recommendations but I have yet to hear any employer or HR professional rave about the positive impact they’ve had. Why? Well, because if you look at the statistics they have not made much difference. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported in 2016 that mental health issues (including stress, depression, anxiety and serious conditions) were the one of the most common reasons for sickness absence, resulting in 15.8 million days lost per year (11.5% of the total). These sorts of figures are the reason many employers do not feel confident hiring or dealing with people suffering poor mental health. To really get to grips with this, they need something more effective than what we have seen so far. People much more knowledgeable than me have been exploring this topic for years, and I can’t help feeling that the MHF findings must be a call to action. If employers are to be a key part of the ‘get well’ plan for the UK, we need fewer reports and more of an effective, enabling framework to support both employees and employers through the work health minefield. Q
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Issue 34 | October 2017
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
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