Current Absence Trends - October 2008

 

As you may have seen in the press this week we are noticing a significant increase in absence at the moment.

By 08:30 on Friday 3rd October we had seen a 67% increase in call volumes against seasonal trends.

This unprecedented level is primarily related to the following three absence categories:

  • Coughs & Colds
  • Flu-like Symptoms
  • Stress and Circumstantial Problems

We believe that the increase is related to concerns over the current economic climate. The upwards trend began following the announcement of the demise of Lehman Brothers on the 15th September and has continued as the headlines continue to report on price rises, the instability of jobs and a crash in house prices.

MISSING CHART (MACROMEDIA PROTECTED FILE)

Clearly these economic woes are causing employees to fear about their future, and the knock on effect of this underlying stress on people’s health is becoming very transparent; we typically see rises in coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms at times when people’s immune systems are depleted such as mid-winter. The concurrent rise in stress-related absence implies that the two are indeed linked.

During these times it is essential that employers do everything they can to reassure staff and try to balance the bombardment of negative news in the press with as much positivity in the workplace as possible.

There are some simple steps we would encourage employers to take:

Provide fresh fruit in the workplace – the cost of fruit has risen sharply over the last few months and many people on tight budgets are swapping fresh fruit for less nutritious counterparts

Encourage employees to utilise their breaks – taking a short stroll away from the workplace environment helps people to relax and look at the more positive side of life

Ensure good hygiene practices – as people become more worried their immune system suffers which makes them more susceptible to picking up coughs and colds. Thorough hand washing and disinfecting of shared keyboards and phones will help limit transfer of bugs

Be more transparent – Stress and worry is caused by fear and uncertainty; wherever possible try to share information on how the current economic outlook might affect your industry, and what steps are being taken to ensure future stability.

As a result of this sustained increase in absence FirstCare is increasing staffing levels of nurses. This will ensure that we continue to deliver against our service level agreements.