The 2012 CIPD survey of absence management, just published, shows that the average number of sick days taken by UK employees has fallen over the past year from 7.7 days to 6.8 days. But stress-related absences have shown an increase. One perception is that more employees are coming to work when they are ill – »
Identifying and nailing “stress” is crucial to lowering the risks of being an employer.
| 28-12-11
Stress can cause a huge variety of physical and mental health problems such as heart disease and medically recognised depression. But it also creates a dysfunctional working environment, poor employee performance and high absence; themselves causes of stress for the employer as well as for employees. The employer is then exposed to a wide range »
Stress and the long term absentee – can you say “goodbye”?
| 24-10-11
You have an employee on long term sick for stress or depression. As we described in earlier blogs you have already had a discussion about the absence; but the absence is continuing. The first question to ask yourself is whether or not you have tackled any issues for which you may have responsibility, work overload, »
Stress: seek first to understand, then to be understood (Stephen Covey)
| 21-10-11
You have invited an employee who is off with stress, or depression, in for a meeting to discuss the absence. Earlier blogs have described the background, invitation to a meeting and some preparation for the meeting. Now the employee has come in and you are meeting them. Start the meeting by thanking them for coming »
Whose stress is it anyway?
| 20-10-11
It is a real hassle when an employee is off with depression or “stress”. We discussed stress and depression in an earlier blog. Typically it happens when a department is already overstretched, a deadline is looming or the employee has just achieved 12 months service with you. Anyone who has managed a small unit or »
Stress is now the number one cause of long term absence – official
| 19-10-11
Stress is the number one cause of long term absence, report the CIPD in their annual survey. It is a curious observation since stress itself is not a disease and yet it is increasingly appearing as medical diagnosis. Also curious is that work is only one of many potential causes of stress. Debts, family and »