This morning, the ONS labour market data revealed that the number of people inactive because of long-term sickness increased to a record high. Several industry experts have commented on this news.
Dr Jo Burrell, co-founder and clinical psychologist at workplace wellbeing specialists, Ultimate Resilience: “Stress, anxiety and depression have been leading causes of workplace sickness absence for several years. Rates have increased further since the COVID-19 pandemic and are at their highest level for over two decades. The cost of living crisis and global threats, from war to climate change, contribute to the daily pressures people experience and create fear and uncertainty about the future.
“This increases people’s vulnerability to stress and more serious ongoing mental health problems. High workloads and a lack of control or support in the workplace also contribute to stress. With increasing rates of long-term sickness, the connection between good employee well-being and a healthy, engaged workforce is increasingly being recognised. When an employee is off sick for a long period, others pick up the pieces, affecting their health in turn and upsetting team performance. Taking a strategic approach to reduce stress and enhance workplace well-being will protect employee mental health.”
Chris Ramsbottom, director of the Coventry-based holistic therapy company, The Amethyst Centre: “Long Covid is with us to stay I’m afraid, if my experience is anything to go by. I had Covid in April 2020 and it’s only in the last few weeks that I can say I think I’m free of Long Covid. Just as the incidence of Covid infections is still high, so Long Covid will remain high. I believe we, as employers, need to reassess our attitude towards working and illness in order to better cope with this.”
Jannice Jones, a wellbeing and transformation coach: “As a coach and trainer, I am seeing a lot of people with long-term sickness due to high stress levels, overwhelm and burnout. This is especially true in organisations such as the NHS, social workers and the police, namely those that continued to work throughout the pandemic. Only occasionally am I seeing anyone with Long Covid. My conclusion is that people sometimes report their absence as Long Covid when their absence is due to overwhelm and long-term chronic stress.”
Bradley Lay, a business finance adviser at Bradley Lay: “The UK workforce is in crisis. Employee burnout and remote working, where people are often in isolation, are likely to be key contributors to skyrocketing sickness absence rates. Many people are also feeling added pressure as a result of rising costs due to inflation. Though the pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote work, employees are now struggling with isolation and a lack of work-life balance. Employers must adapt to provide more flexibility, or the crisis will worsen, further disengaging the workforce.”
Steven Mather, director and lawyer at Leicester-based Steven Mather Solicitor: “The increase in sickness absence will come as no surprise to many business owners, as people are taking more time off than ever before, often due to stress. While, from a mental health point of view, this is undoubtedly great progress, for a small employer it really does put pressure on the business and other employees.
“That has a knock on effect and will result in the employee that stayed to help then being off sick. Stress is still a top reason for absence and I don’t see that getting better even with various mental health benefits in place. Yoga in the workplace once a month won’t cure the feeling of being overworked, underpaid and undervalued.”
