A survey of 2000 British workers found that 38% of respondents had taken a ‘sick day’ when they had not actually been ‘ill’, in the eyes of their employer. In 2019 Absenteeism cost UK business’s £5.6 billion a year, with the average sick day costing a business £107.85. Due to the impact it can have on the employees and business, it’s important to understand the reasons why staff are choosing to take these days off instead of coming into work.

Stress and Mental Health

Reasons can vary from person to person. 1 in 4 people call in sick because they are dissatisfied with their job, this could be down to issues such as conflict with their co-workers or that they have felt overworked and stress from their current workload. This shows the significant importance of well-being in the workplace. Many people feel uncomfortable about asking for time off regarding their mental health, however it is something that affects millions of us each day.

Statistics from Mind found that 1 in 4 people in the UK have suffered form a mental health related issue in the last 12 months, despite this only 17% of employees felt that taking a day off for mental health was a satisfactory reason for calling in sick. This is a worrying statistic as it means that there are currently people in the UK battling mental health issues who feel like their illness is not serious enough for them to take time off work if they need it. This mindset will harm both the employee and the business, it can make the employee feel alienated and guilty if their illness is inhibiting them from performing their job efficiently. This then has a negative affect on the business.

How to improve mental well-being in the workplace

Although mental health and well-being isn’t an issue which can be solved overnight, there are steps that you can take as a business to make your employees feel comfortable and diminish the stigma surrounding the subject. One way that you can achieve this is by empowering staff, involving them in decision-making shows employees that you value their opinion, improving their motivation and job satisfaction.

Creating a healthy work space for employees will also contribute to greater job satisfaction and create a positive working environment that employees enjoy coming to each morning. Staff should also be reminded that support can be provided and is readily available should they ask. Even though the importance of metal well-being has become more prominent and celebrated in recent years, the figures suggest there is still a long way before the stigma which is attached to the subject is finally overcome.

If you want to put your employees first and upgrade to a biometric clock in system which puts staff first. Contact Smart Clockin here today