Industry calls for urgent boost to UK Occupational Health capability

The Annual Work & Health survey by the EEF shows waiting time for treatment, surgery and tests and stress at work are the largest causes of long term absence

Key findings:

• Average work related absence amongst manufacturers is 4%


• One in six companies has no long term sickness absence


• Almost a third of companies do not record long-term sickness absence


• A third of companies identify work related absence but two fifths do not


• Waiting times for surgery, recovering from surgery or investigation largest cause of absence followed by stress both on an upward curve


• Work related stress affects widest array of companies, especially the largest, but one fifth of all companies not addressing


• But, all companies adopting a wide array of measures to enable return to work, flexible working most prevalent


• 81% of companies have access to an Occupational Health service

Britain’s manufacturers are urging the Government to use its review Occupational Health (OH) provision in the UK to ensure all companies have access to an OH service as part of a much wider overarching strategy for tackling more than just work related sickness absence.

The call comes on the back of a major survey of Work and Health by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation and specialist insurance broker Howden. It shows that whilst the vast majority of employers are providing their employees with access to OH services, many are still not recording work related absence or are unclear about whether their risk control measures and OH management have an impact on the number of cases of work-related ill-health.

The survey also shows that waiting time for medical surgery/investigation, tests and recovery from surgery remains the biggest cause of work-related absence followed by stress. Both of these have been heading higher in EEF’s three previous surveys since 2009 whilst other health conditions such as back problems, heart conditions and cancer have either plateaued or declined.

Commenting, Terry Woolmer, head of health & safety policy at EEF said: “It has long been recognised that a healthy workforce is a more productive workforce. Investment in the wellbeing of employees by both the employer and Government makes sense not just for good business practice but also the benefits to wider society from reduced benefits and pressure on a stretched NHS system.

“The focus on Occupational Health needs to regain momentum, however, especially given the upward trend of a number of causes of long term absence. This should involve practical short term measures such as a replacement for the ‘Fit for Work’ service, as well as a long term focus on a wider strategy for employee health that goes way beyond just managing absence.”

Glenn Thomas, Managing Director of Employee Benefits for Howden UK added:

“In addition to Government provision, manufacturing businesses also have a role to play. It’s encouraging to see that manufacturers are making use of Occupational Health (OH) provisions within the workplace and are adopting a broad range of methods, for instance 38% adopting an employee assistant programme (EAP) to help combat work related stress.

“Whilst employee wellbeing is high on industry agendas it is apparent that businesses need to maximise return on their benefit spend. This is echoed in the report, with many companies not knowing whether the measures they put in place are reducing absences or having a positive impact on employee health and wellbeing. Business leaders need to engage with employees to find out which services are best suited and make sure that employees are using the benefits provided to them.”

According to the survey, business is recognising the importance of OH with just over four fifths of companies (81%) having access to OH services. Furthermore almost all companies are implementing measures to help re-integrate employees back into work, the foremost being phased returns to work (89%), reduced or different hours (84%) and time off for medical appointments (70%).

However, the use of early intervention services such as physiotherapy which have the greatest potential to facilitate early return to work has declined.

EEF www.eef.org.uk