Stress absence takes its toll in public sector - Grid

As stress takes its toll, 33% of public sector employers said their average employee takes more than five days off sick per year, compared to 15.9% in the private sector.

As the public sector braces itself for cuts and the welfare reform agenda gathers pace, a survey of 500 employers by Group risk Development (Grid) has uncovered a significant discrepancy in absence trends between the public and private sectors.

The most commonly cited reasons for absences of over four weeks are home and family issues (16.8%), stress (15%) and acute medical conditions such as heart attacks and cancer (14.8%).

However, these figures differ significantly between the sectors.

Stress is by far the biggest cause of long-term absence in the public sector, with 37.5% of public sector employers stating that stress is the biggest cause of absence, compared to 11.2% in the private sector.

For all organisations, stress levels get worse the larger the organisation is.

However, compared with last year's GRiD research, both stress and family issues have reduced slightly as a main cause for long-term absence when looking across all sectors.

Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: "With public sector cuts looming and welfare reform on the government agenda, it's an interesting time to look at what effect these pressures are having on employees in that sector.

"As well as a significant issue with stress, there are clearly cultural differences between the sectors, and perhaps a less permissive environment amongst private sector workers.

"In times of increased economic pressure it is important for employers to consider what provisions they have in place to ensure both the employee and the employer are adequately protected in case of long-term absence.

"Many employers in the private sector have a group income protection (GIP) scheme in place as part of their overall absence management strategy. This can provide peace of mind and security to all involved."