New research by e-days - a global absence management software - highlights the various professions who are struggling with stress at work.
The research found that there was a 70 per cent rise in the number of stress-related absences among HR professionals in 2020 compared to the previous year, resulting in experts encouraging them to look after their own wellbeing whilst they are working.
The data, which was collected from 1,500 employers and analysed by e-days, showed that - and only being surpassed by workers in the healthcare sector and employees within Government and International Affairs - HR professionals took 0.39 days off on average per employee.
Rachel Suff - Employment Relations Adviser at the CIPD - said HR professionals had been at the centre of their organisations’ response to the pandemic.
She commented:
“Many months on, as the crisis continues, people professionals need to dig deep to help shore up organisational resilience and continue to support employee wellbeing. Given these high demands, people professionals must look after their personal wellbeing and resilience so that they can recognise any signs that day-to-day pressures – whether at home or at work, or both – are tipping into unmanageable stress.”
Overall, during 2020 stress-related absences around the UK saw a 64 per cent increase.
The analysis also found that the amount of leave and holiday cancelled in 2020 almost doubled compared to 2019. It also raised concerns about presenteeism and estimated that two-thirds of those working from home worked while sick at some time during the last year.
The Office for National Statistics also analysed their figures - which showed that whilst the number of fit notes issued by GPs dropped last year - the proportion issued for mental health reasons increased.
Dr Kate Bunyan - Chief Medical Officer, Doctor Care Anywhere - stated:
“Businesses need to ask themselves what they can do to support their employees through stress or sickness and ensure employees know that it is no longer a badge of honour to work whilst sick.
There should be a clear procedure in place to support employees and fast track them to the necessary support services before the situation worsens. Employees who choose to work when unwell are negatively impacting their own health, and in turn their colleagues and the business will suffer too. Without direction staff will be unsure as to how best proceed when sick and continue working. Especially during current circumstances business leaders need to be wise to this, and properly support their workforce.”
Steve Arnold - CEO of e-days - said:
“With HR leaders also struggling, we must recognise there is a perfect storm going on. What we do have within our control is looking after people when they do need to book absence but are working remotely. We have to build a company culture that shouts ‘absence matters’ and do away with the fear of appearing lazy or unable to cope. The truth is during this pandemic the majority are probably working more than ever, and HRs themselves need to call in support services to help.”
