A major new report looking at the impact of the economic downturn on corporate healthcare provision reveals that organisations throughout the UK are putting employees under pressure to work while off sick and to return to work before they are well enough.
The findings in HSA’s Healthy Working Report reveal that more than a third of HR professionals claim their company encourages employees to continue picking up emails and to perform basic tasks while absent from work through illness. A further 15% admit that while they didn’t officially encourage staff to do this, it probably took place.
When asked if their organisation encourages employees to take as much time off as they needed when unwell, one in seven HR professionals claim employees are encouraged to return to work as soon as possible. Three quarters also acknowledge that employees are less likely to take time off sick now than they would have been a year ago as a result of concerns about job security.
In addition, three quarters of HR professionals say they are aware of extreme working within their organisation, where employees continue to work through incapacity and illness rather than take a day off sick. The findings imply that organisations are under pressure to improve employee productivity regardless of the impact on the health of the workforce.
Richard Halley, Head of Sales at HSA, commented: “Companies are under pressure to get the best out of employees, especially during these tough economic times. However, this should not be done at the expense of employee health and welfare.”
www.hsa.co.uk
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