Employers are increasingly addressing issues such as mental health in a bid to reduce long term absence rates, research from Aviva suggests.
Two in five (40%) employers who recorded low absence rates attribute it to proactively addressing employee stress, and nearly two thirds (61%) feel managing long-term absence is an issue for their business with one in six (16%) stating that long term sickness can have a devastating effect on team morale.
For example, when asked when and if they would step in to help an employee who they thought might go off sick, only 14% of employers felt it was not their position to pry, but 35% said they would take that person aside to discuss the issue and 28% would advise them to see a counsellor or GP for extra support.
These actions have been particularly important during the economic downturn as, according to the "early intervention prevention" group risk survey commissioned by Aviva UK Health, almost one in four businesses (23%) claim the recession has taken a lasting toll on employee stress levels and increased long term absence rates.
It also shows that a further 13% claim it causes them a major staffing headache, and only 6% of employees feel that their company works hard to get staff back into the workplace when colleagues go on sick leave for two weeks or more.
Dr. Doug Wright, principal clinical consultant at Aviva UK Health, said: "We want to demonstrate the importance of recognising the early warning signs of stress and help both businesses and employees to manage this condition.
"Psychological issues such as stress consistently rank top among the causes of long term absence according to claims data from our group risk team - ahead of musculoskeletal disorders and life threatening conditions such as cancer.
"The good news is that early identification and treatment of stress-related conditions can help to safeguard the health of employees and minimise time lost to the business."
Steve Bridger, head of group risk at Aviva UK Health, said: "It's encouraging to see employers taking an increasingly proactive approach to tackling workplace stress.
"Small steps such as giving staff access to a confidential counselling service or implementing a group income protection (GIP) policy can have a hugely positive impact on absence rates."
