Employers play a pivotal role in tackling long-term sickness absence

A new survey shows the crucial role that employers can play when it comes to helping workers return to work from long-term sickness.

The majority (82%) of UK employers recognise the important role they play in helping employees return to work after ill health, however, smaller sized businesses say they find this more of a challenge with 51% admitting to not having a return-to-work process in place.

The Aviva research found that employers would welcome guidance and support from the government to help them better manage long-term sickness absence.

Forty-five per cent of employers say they would like support with accessing the best practice services, such as occupational health, vocational rehabilitation support and wellbeing services to prevent ill health.

Jason Ellis, Aviva’s Sales and Distribution Director for Group Protection, commented, “The UK is seeing more and more people leave the workforce due to ill-health, and this trend is likely to continue.

“Employers play a crucial role in addressing this issue, so it’s reassuring to see many companies have processes and support systems in place to help employees return to work and stay there after experiencing health problems.

“However, our research shows a significant variation in the level of support different organisations offer. This highlights the need for the introduction of best-practice guidelines and better education and access to return-to-work support for both employers and employees.

“It’s essential that employers intervene early and that an employee’s return to work is carefully managed. Expectations should be agreed upon and clearly communicated from the start, with progress checked and adjustments made as the employee’s circumstances change. Without a clear, transparent strategy, there’s a risk the employee might have an unnecessary extension of absence.”

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