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A report from our trusted partners at Zurich has revealed that employees with long-term health conditions took over 112 million sick days in 2023 – a staggering increase of almost 70% from the previous six years.
At Ethos Broking we want to support your business through the bad times and the good. Read on for insights from Zurich that could impact your business and your people.
According to the Zurich report, the biggest contributor to long-term sickness absences by far is mental health issues, which represent 44% of the total figure. The next leading cause is musculoskeletal (MSK) issues, like muscle and joint pain, at 14%, while gastrointestinal and respiratory problems both come in at 7%.
Interestingly, both mental health and MSK issues were widely reported upon during the pandemic as having reached a state of crisis; a combination of home working and social isolation were seen to have created the perfect storm from which workers are still reeling today.
Statistics show that employees find it increasingly difficult to return to work the longer they’re absent, which means that it is in employers’ best interests to take an active role in return to work.
This can be achieved through the use of return-to-work schemes, which come as standard in employee assistance programmes (EAPs), though they can also be added on to your company insurance policy.
A large-scale analysis of these return-to-work rehabilitation programmes found overwhelming success, with 86% of long-term absentees remaining in the workforce after receiving support.
Contact your usual Ethos Broker for how we can support you.