Employers to blame for increased absenteeism

clock

Less than 40% of companies see employee health as a priority for human resources, despite figures suggesting absenteeism costs businesses £13bn a year.

As the government plans to reform sickness benefits through the Welfare Reform Bill introduced last week, Norwich Union Healthcare has published research which says employers only have themselves to blame for high levels of ill health and absenteeism. In its report, ‘Health of the Workplace’, a survey of 250 GPs and over 200 companies reveals 34% of GPs have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people needing to be signed off work for seven days of more. And according to the survey, 94% of GPs blame companies for failing to take care of their staff, claiming the major health prob...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Protection

Guardian launches two critical illness products

Guardian launches two critical illness products

Focus on cost and quality

Cameron Roberts
clock 08 June 2026 • 2 min read
Kevin Carr on AI: I don't think we've even seen the tip of the iceberg

Kevin Carr on AI: I don't think we've even seen the tip of the iceberg

'The technology is evolving faster than many of us can imagine'

Kevin Carr
clock 13 May 2026 • 4 min read
Life insurance: Complexity vs cost and the confidence gap

Life insurance: Complexity vs cost and the confidence gap

Complexity and uncertainty create frustration for consumers and operational drag for advisers

Kevin Carr
clock 30 April 2026 • 4 min read