Sickness Absence Remains Low Finds CBI Survey

Sickness absence in 2010 remained close to the previous year's record low, employers' organisation CBI has found. The CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey reports there were 190 million working days to sickness absence last year, with each employee taking an average of 6.5 days off sick. This compared to 6.4 sick days in 2009, the lowest rate since the survey began in 1987.

CBI claimed this year's total included 30.4 million days of non-genuine sickness absence, or 'sickies'. But the question is of course how do they know this, or is it the usual bleating from the CBI and employers who seem happiest when slagging off their workforce.

Furthermore, you would  not think that the findings of this new survey represented an improvement from the headline used by the CBI press release: ‘WORKPLACE ABSENCE COSTING ECONOMY £17bn’ Nor of course do the CBI criticise the employer for not addressing the causes of workplace illness.

Blaming GPs and the new Fit Note, Katja Hall, CBI Chief Policy Director, said:

 “The substantial costs of absence to the economy put a premium on managing longer-term absence well.

The fit note is a great initiative, which could play an important role in helping people back to work and stopping them slide into long-term absence. But employers are far from convinced that the scheme is working properly and don’t think GPs are getting the necessary training.

The launch of the electronic fit note should be an ideal opportunity for the Department of Work and Pensions to extend the reach of its training programme and address GPs’ engagement. There can be no room for complacency in addressing the so-called sick note culture.”

Commenting on the CBI findings, TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said:

“The report confirms that sickness absence is still close to the lowest level ever. It does not however address the growing problem of presenteeism where workers are coming in while ill. This has grown during the recession and is now a major problem.”

He added:

“The report also seems to put responsibility for sickness absence onto everyone but the employer who is responsible for managing it. As is the case every year, the CBI makes unsupported claims of levels of 'non-genuine' sickness absence. These are based, not on evidence, but on managers' perceptions, and should be taken with a pinch of salt."

The TUC health and safety expert concluded:

"The answer to managing sickness is to have a good sickness absence policy which supports, rather than punishes those that go off sick, and access to good professional occupational health advice.”

The survey can be downloaded in full from the E-Library Database using search term 'sick absence'

Source: TUC Risks / CBI

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