Our view

Jul 06 - UK: Sicknote Britain - GPs blame bosses as illness rates at work soar

New research out today reveals that a third (34%) of GPs have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of people needing to be signed off work for seven days or more. According to GPs, employers themselves are at fault with nine out of 10 doctors (94%) blaming companies for failing to take responsibility for their employees’ health and wellbeing.

Ill health and absenteeism currently cost UK businesses Ł13bn¹ a year and doctors predict that is set to soar unless employers take urgent action to help workers manage their health. HR directors report that the major health problems affecting workers are stress (76%), back problems (63%) and depression (57%) – all issues that can be caused or exacerbated by the working environment.

Norwich Union Healthcare’s Health of the Workplace report, which surveyed employers and GPs across the country, stresses that employee health has a significant impact on the bottom line of an organisation. The effects of absences can be especially damaging when key staff are off sick. Forty-two percent of companies have said they have struggled with key members of staff being off for long periods of time, causing widespread disruption:

• 68% say this has lead to overstretched teams
• 64% say teams lack leadership and direction as a consequence
• 45% believe it caused morale problems and resentment
• 31% say key accounts or clients were put in jeopardy

In spite of the clear business need, Norwich Union Healthcare’s Health of the Workplace Report also uncovers a worrying conflict on the part of UK businesses to the health and wellbeing of their staff. Only 38% of UK companies see employee wellbeing as an HR priority and 40% of companies ignore it completely as they do not have any system in place for health management.

One explanation for the lack of investment in this area is that many (43%) UK companies choose to manage health issues on a case-by-case basis. The report suggests that this is a risky short-term strategy and almost half of the companies (46%) admit they don’t invest enough time or resources in pre-empting sickness. Moreover, 70% of companies do not see employees’ health as their responsibility.

GPs have a clear view on where the responsibility lies. On top of the vast majority (94%) who believe that firms don’t do enough to prevent workers falling ill, the same number blame companies for failing those staff who are ill and not doing enough to help them back to work. Furthermore, doctors are concerned that inadequate NHS frontline services for conditions, such as depression, leave employees with nowhere to turn.

With the government seeking to reform sickness benefits through the Welfare Reform Bill introduced last week, GPs and employers will be coming under increased pressure to act in this area over the next year. Norwich Union Healthcare is urging businesses to act now to avoid the crippling effect of rising sickness and absence rates.

Tim Baker, director at Norwich Union Healthcare, comments: “These figures show that the system is failing workers. Greater co-operation is needed between GPs and employers to find a solution to rising illness caused at work. Businesses must look to the many examples that exist within both the public and private sector of organisations, such as the Royal Mail and Rolls Royce, which have actively promoted a healthy workplace and proactively managed adverse health effects and consequently achieved a reduction in absence and ill health and increases in productivity.

“Businesses and GPs must not blame one another and each bear responsibility for tackling the problems of employee ill health. Grasping the issue and adopting a joined up approach between stakeholders means that also the widespread benefits of tackling the issues can be shared.”

Norwich Union Healthcare - Health of the Workplace Report June 2006

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Media contacts:
Chris Lauwerys or Melanie Corbett
Lexis Public Relations 
Telephone: 020 7908 6488

Norwich Union Press Office contacts:
Cheryl Cox: 07800 695 275 or 01904 452791

Notes to editors:

¹Annual CBI Absence Survey, May 15 2006

Case studies available on request.

About the research
Norwich Union Healthcare commissioned Dr Foster Research Ltd to conduct research amongst approximately 250 practicing GPs from across the UK in September 2005.

Norwich Union Healthcare commissioned Vanson Bourne Ltd to conduct research amongst 214 businesses from across the UK in May/June 2006. Businesses were split equally between those with 205-1000 employees and 1000 or more employees.

About Norwich Union Healthcare
Norwich Union Healthcare was founded in 1990 as the healthcare arm of Norwich Union and now provides a range of income protection and private medical insurance products that cover over 870,000 lives. It is one of the largest providers of income protection and private medical insurance in the UK.

We provide Occupational Health Solutions services to a wide range of industry sectors. By utilising our large fleet of purpose built mobile clinics and approved medical centres, staffed by a team of experienced Occupational Physicians and nursing staff, all our Occupational Health services are designed to meet the individual needs of our clients.

Norwich Union Healthcare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Norwich Union’s news releases and a selection of images are available from Aviva’s internet press centre at www.aviva.com/media.

About Dr Foster Research Ltd
Dr Foster Research Ltd is the leading independent authority on healthcare quality in the UK. Its information can be accessed via publications such as the Hospital Guide and online at www.drfoster.co.uk.

Dr Foster Research Ltd is the sister company to Dr Foster Intelligence, which provides expert analysis to the NHS.

An independent Ethics Committee with substantial powers to enforce editorial and research integrity oversees the organisation.

Further information is available at www.drfoster.co.uk or direct from Dan Collins, Client Services Manager, DF Research, 17 St Helen’s Place, London, EC3A 6DG.