The new trend makes interesting reading for employers and appears to be the product of the current economic climate. 39 per cent of employers reported that absence linked to mental health problems had gone up in the last year. This rise is thought to be related to concerns about job security, particularly in the public sector where employment figures are suffering due to the government’s austerity measures and the consequent restructuring which is taking place across the sector.
Employers planning redundancies are significantly more likely to report an increase in stress-related absence (51%) than other employers (32%). 50% of public sector organisations who were part of the survey reported an increase in stress-related absence. Overall employee absence levels have been more or less static. Interestingly the survey also demonstrates that 28% of employers say that employees are more likely to come to work whilst ill.
The survey also demonstrated that lots of employers are alive to this issue. 73% of employers offer counselling services, with 69% offering an Employee Assistance Programme. The research shows that employers need to be aware in the current climate of the signs of employees being under high levels of stress at work. Stress at work often results in loss of productivity and disenchanted employees, affecting the profitability of a business. Employees are a key asset of most businesses; instituting effective well-being policies, providing advice on workplace, emotional, psychological and personal issues and openly communicating with and involving employees where a business is going through structural change will help to mitigate stress at work cases and foster a better working environment.
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