East Midlands has highest sick rate in England
The East Midlands continues to have one of the worst sickness rates in the UK, according to the 2016 Sickness Absence Survey report, published today by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and employee benefits company, Jelf.
The annual business survey, the largest of its kind, shows that 5.6 days a year are now lost to sickness per person in the region – down from 5.7 days a year previously. This means that the region continues to have sick rates above the UK average, where 5.3 days a year are lost per person.
The region ranks 8th in the UK out of ten regions – only Scotland and Wales lose more days per person to sickness. At the same time, the region’s absence rate remains static at 2.5% – again placing it above the national average of 2.3%.
Richard Halstead, East Midlands region director at EEF, says: “It’s interesting to see how our region compares for sickness rates, but there is a serious concern here. We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that keeping people fit and healthy, while enabling a speedy return to work from absence, is essential to economic growth.
“However, this report shows long-term absence on the increase and an under-pressure NHS that is struggling to deal with the issue. With an ageing population this situation is only going to get worse – radical action is required.
“Government must now use incentives to encourage employers to pay for private medical treatment and allow it to be offset in the same way as other business expenses. Not only would this help take the pressure off the NHS, but it would allow a speedier return to work. This would be a win-win for Government, employers and employees.”
Nationally, the report says that two fifths of companies still rely exclusively on the NHS as the primary source of treatment to reduce absence – less than a fifth (18%) currently pay for non NHS treatment. However, almost a third (31%) would pay for medical treatment if there was a benefit to the company, while almost six in ten (59%) would be most incentivised to pay for the cost of treatment or workplace adjustment by some form of employer allowable business expense.
