12/06/2002

Northern Ireland tops UK absenteeism survey

Northern Ireland has the highest rate of absenteeism in the UK according to the latest survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

The survey revealed that absence at work continues to cost British industry billions of pounds and that although the average number of days lost per employee has decreased (down to 7.1 days from 7.8 days), the actual cost of this absence has increased to £476 per employee per year.

Minor illness such as colds and flu continue to lead the league as the main cause of absence, followed by recurring illness for manual employees and stress for non-manual employees.

The report also found that very few companies examine the link between health and employee performance. However of the companies that do, they found a strong relationship between employees' state of health and their performance in the workplace.

Commenting on the figures, Ronnie McCaw, the Hospital Savings Association's business development manager, said: "Prompt diagnosis and treatment helps keep absence levels down, reduces the cost and impact on industry and can be a key factor in maintaining staff motivation and morale. With the highest absence rate in the survey, Northern Ireland clearly needs to address this issue."

The benefits available from corporate cash plans include cover towards the cost of dentistry, eye examinations and glasses plus a number of complementary treatments to tackle back-pain, which itself cost the nation £6 billion a year. Private consultation is also covered, speeding up the often timely diagnosis process, a range of hospital benefits pay a nightly rate for in-patient stays and day case admissions are similarly covered.

HSA say that with more than 4,000 British companies implementing the plans they are designed to be simply implemented and administered.

(MB)

Related Northern Ireland Business News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

15 May 2006
Staff absence falls but cost increases
The total number of days lost through sickness absence dropped by 4 million to 164 million days last year, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has reported.
25 April 2002
Absenteeism drops to 14-year low as costs hit £1bn
Workplace absence has fallen to its lowest level for at least 14 years a new survey published by the CBI and PPP healthcare has revealed. However the annual cost to employers has risen by more than a billion pounds. The number of working days lost fell by 16 million, from 192 million in 2000 to 176 million in 2001. That is 7.
05 July 2002
Low cost airline numbers continue to grow
Low-cost airline partners Easyjet and Go have announced increases in passenger numbers for the month of June. Easyjet said it carried 958,857 passengers, an increase of 51.5% compared with last year, and 6% higher than in May, while Go reported a 71.8% increase in passenger number to 550,749.
29 July 2002
Stress is a leading cause of long-term absence
Employees take an average of 10 days off sick each year, according to Employee Absence 2002, published today by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). While Northern Ireland remains at the bottom of the sick-day league, the latest survey shows a slight increase, from the reported 9.3 working days lost, in last year’s study.
06 July 2001
SURVEY FINDS ABSENTEEISM UNDERESTIMATED
A NEW survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has found that most employers overestimate their ability to combat the problem of staff absenteeism.