Companies including IKEA and Wessex Water are reportedly cutting sick pay for unvaccinated employees who are self-isolating; instead of receiving full pay, they will now only be eligible for SSP. Under current Government guidance, people in England who have received at least 2 doses of the Covid vaccine are not required to self-isolate, however, unvaccinated […]

New research from NTT DATA UK, a world leader in consulting and IT services, has found that subsequent COVID-19 lockdowns, and increased anxiety around working in times of COVID, have resulted in a long-term increase of 5% in the proportion of fit notes issued for mental health reasons. A fit note is an official document […]

Poor productivity and absenteeism cost UK businesses £14 billion in 2020 alone. What can be done to improve employee wellbeing and productivity, whilst filling the record-high number of vacancies we’re seeing right now? With zero-hours contracts on the up, ensuring hourly workers are empowered, supported and appreciated is key. Workforce Software, whose technology is used […]

A third of employers (31 per cent) do not make any early  interventions to help staff return  to work in the event that they’re absent for longer than six months owing to ill health, disability or injury. Similarly, thirty-two per cent of employers don’t have any financial support in place for staff if they are […]

For many UK employees the pressures of juggling family, health and care demands alongside work commitments are a cause of major stress, anxiety and unplanned absences from work. That’s according to new research from Benenden Health, which says although a quarter of employees (25%) said unapproved absences from work had been down to over indulgence […]

Adrian Lewis, Director at Activ Absence, on TV binge viewing leading to sickies & what employers can do about it… New research from the Radio Times[i] has found that almost one in five people (18%) have said they had specifically called in sick so they could watch TV at home. They also found that half of […]

With absence costing the UK economy £18 billion pounds per year, Suzanne Monk, clinical governance officer for FirstCare, examines how a nurse-led absence management policy can not only save your company money, it can also save lives. A pretty bold statement you may suggest, but here at FirstCare we have the data and endorsements to […]

Women workers are more likely to take time out of the office than men, even when it comes to flu, according to new research. A study by FirstCare showed that women have taken nearly three million more sick days than their male counterparts in just the last three months. Tackling absenteeism in the office through […]