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Stress tops list of long-term absence causes
Mental health problems hit manual and non-manual staff, CIPD research shows
Stress is now the number one cause of long-term sickness absence as employees struggle
with heavy workloads and job loss worries, research from the CIPD and Simplyhealth has
shown.
This year’s Absence Management survey reveals that stress has taken over from
musculoskeletal problems as the top cause of absence for both manual and non-manual
workers. Nearly four in ten (39 per cent) of employers say that absence due to mental health
problems has gone up in the last year, while only 12 per cent say that it has decreased. There
is a clear link between the rise in mental health problems and job security, with employers
who are planning redundancies significantly more likely to report an increase in stress-related
absence (51 per cent) than other employers (32 per cent).
There is a particular increase in stress-related absence among public sector organisations,
with 50 per cent of these respondents reporting an increase.
Overall, employee absence levels have remained relatively stable, with an average of 7.7
days lost per employee. Public sector absence stood at 9.1 days, a slight improvement on last
year, while private sector absence was 7.1 days, slightly worse.
CIPD adviser Jill Miller said: “The survey this year shows that stress is for the first time the
number one cause of long-term sickness absence, highlighting the heightened pressure many
people feel under in the workplace as a result of the prolonged economic downturn.
“Stress is a particular challenge in the public sector where the sheer amount of major change
and restructuring would appear to be the root cause. To a large degree, managing stress is
about effective leadership and people management, particularly during periods of major
change and uncertainty.
“Line managers need to focus on regaining the trust of their employees and openly
communicating throughout the change process to avoid unnecessary stress and potential
absences. They also need to be able to spot the early signs of people being under excessive
pressure or having difficulty coping at work and to provide appropriate support.”
Gill Phipps, HR spokesperson at Simplyhealth, added: “Stress can often have a negative
effect on the workplace, which can result in loss of productivity and disengaged employees.
It’s therefore encouraging that almost half of employers have a wellbeing strategy in place,
with 73 per cent offering counselling services and a further 69 per cent providing an
Employee Assistance Programme. These benefits allow employees access to information and
advice on workplace issues, as well as emotional, psychological and personal issues, and
can be a huge help during difficult times. Employers need to ensure that benefits such as
these are communicated effectively to staff in order for employees to get the most from them.”
An additional sector breakdown for the research shows that absence is lowest among
manufacturing and production employers (5.7 days) a marked improvement from last year,
while non-profit organisations have absence rate of 8.8 days, a slight deterioration.
The survey also revealed some evidence of an increase in ‘presenteeism’ with 28 per cent of
employers saying that employees were now more likely to come to work despite being ill.
Organisations where presenteeism was noted were more likely to have also experienced an
upturn in stress.