North West has highest sickness rate in the UK

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation

The North West officially has the highest sickness rate in the UK, according to the 2015 Sickness Absence Survey report, published today (Tuesday 16 June) by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation and employee benefits company Jelf.

The business survey, the largest of its kind, shows that 6.2 days a year are lost to sickness per person in the North West – up from 5.6 days a year previously and enough to see the region outstrip all other areas of the UK.

The North West also sees the highest sickness rate in the UK at 2.7% - this compares to just 1.8% in the West Midlands, which has the lowest rate in the UK, and to 2.2%, which is the national average.

After reaching a record low, overall sickness rates have started to creep up. This suggests that the days of ‘presenteeism’ – a trend particularly noticed around the time of the recession – are over. Nationally, 5.1 days a year were lost in 2014 compared to 4.8 days the year before and the report says that employers are struggling to address mental health issues in the workplace amidst growing concern at long-term absence trends.

The number of manual workers reporting zero absence has fallen for the first time in five years, while only 55% of companies hit their absence target last year - the lowest since 2008.

More worryingly, when it comes to long-term absence two fifths of companies saw an increase last year – the largest increase in five years. While back pain and musculoskeletal disorders remain the biggest cause of long-term absence (34%), stress and mental health disorders are ranked as the most difficult to make workplace adjustments for (32%). Furthermore, a third of employers said that they do not have a system in place for managing mental health-related long-term absence.

The survey also shows that employers’ approach to managing absence remains mixed. Encouragingly, the number of companies setting absence targets is increasing (a third have no target compared to two fifths last year) and two fifths can make workplace adjustments or provide training to manage long-term absence.

In contrast, almost three quarters of companies don’t measure the cost of sickness absence, while 70% don’t measure the return on their investment for the health and well-being benefits they offer. According to EEF, the new Fit for Work service will be critical in reducing long-term absence, especially musculoskeletal disorders and mental health issues, and the report contains a number of recommendations on how to make the service succeed.

Darrell Matthews, North West Region Director at EEF, says: “While overall levels remain low, there continues to be a marked difference between short and long-term absence, which is creeping upwards. Without a renewed effort to tackle the root causes it will continue to act as a drag on the economy and a brake on efforts to improve productivity and boost growth.

“Of particular concern is the gradual increase in stress and mental health-related problems over the last 5 years, which GPs and employers are struggling to deal with. As a society we can no longer ignore the very real impact of these issues both on the individuals concerned and the wider economy. While employers and GPs appear able to manage other causes of absence they must now be given the tools to deal with stress and mental health issues in the same way.”