Healthy employee – what does your company gain?

In this article, you will learn:

• Why prioritizing employee health is crucial for your organization?
• What are the costs associated with high absenteeism?
• What solutions are modern companies implementing to promote health?
• How and why to avoid presenteeism?

Useful definition: The Central Institute for Labour Protection defines absenteeism as lost working time; however, in this article, we focus exclusively on sickness absenteeism due to one's own illness, rather than, for example, caring for a sick person [1].

Health – a key investment

Modern companies go to great lengths to provide their employees with proper working conditions and tools that make it easier to look after their health, such as medical packages and services. Why is this so important? In other words – what does a healthy employee bring to a company, and how does a company lose out when employees are ill?

• Profits

Time is money. There is no doubt about that, especially when we consider employee absenteeism. As it turns out, every percentage point of sickness absence corresponds to a 0.7% loss in company profit [3].

• Costs

Lost profits are one thing, but costs are also significant – and not just the official ones directly related to a given employee, but also the costs of replacements (including recruitment and training of new staff), potential overtime, or administrative handling [1]. As a result, investing in employee health brings economic benefits in the form of cost reductions ranging from a few percent to 70% [6].

• Image

Looking after employee well-being means not only lower absenteeism but also a better image among job candidates [3]. Specialists will be more likely to choose such a company, and current employees will feel secure and well-cared for.

• Efficiency

Even a common cold, which some of us don't even consider an illness, reduces productivity by 20% [4]. It’s no surprise – health has a real impact on the speed and quality of work. Let’s also remember that mistakes made by distracted, ill employees can be not only costly but also dangerous.

• Atmosphere

Health impacts the quality of communication between employees [7]. Even a minor cold can mean an employee comes to work irritable, and those negative emotions can affect the entire team. Overtime and the need to frequently cover for absent colleagues also have a negative impact on the work atmosphere.

Can a company counteract absenteeism?

Absolutely. In 2012, Eurostat conducted research showing that approximately26% of total employee absenteeism is due to work-related illnesses [6]. Of course, these results have been skewed in recent times by the pandemic and the subsequent wave of mental health issues among employees. However, it must be admitted that despite the passing decades, many companies still haven't learned the lesson of creating a hygienic and healthy work environment, which is key to reducing sickness absence. Meanwhile, properly selected measures can reduce company expenses caused by absenteeism by anywhere from a few percent up to 70% [3]. 

Occupational health and safety is not everything, however. The work culture itself is also essential. It turns out that up to 70% of sick leave certificates marked as "patient may walk" or granted for the care of a family member are used as a form of escape from work. Such actions are estimated to account for as much as 10% of total sickness absence [3].

It is clear that different types of absenteeism are generated by completely different factors. The first step in counteracting it should therefore be to verify which category it falls into. The following three are most commonly distinguished:

• natural – the employee is actually ill;
• grey – the employee is not ill but extends their actual leave, avoiding a return to work ("easy" access to sick leave, lack of motivation, etc.);
• professional – so-called pathological, where the employee exploits the possibility of sick leave to collect benefits without showing up for work [7].

We are particularly interested in the first point, as it is correctable by implementing changes to work hygiene and culture, which are largely universal.

In the case of grey and professional absenteeism, company-specific factors often come into play, such as the quality of management or poorly designed metrics and processes [3].

Note: minimizing absenteeism should be treated as a systemic effort. You must start by identifying the real causes and types of absenteeism, and then develop an absence policy that encompasses a comprehensive set of actions and solutions.

Minimal natural absenteeism – how to take care of employee health?

According to the latest available ZUS report, the causes of sickness absenteeism among Polish employees in 2021 were as follows:

It is clear at first glance that appropriate, systemic actions can reduce the level of sickness absenteeism, as a large portion of these conditions is related to occupational health and safety issues. For example, musculoskeletal disorders can be correlated with properly set up workstations, while caring for employees' respiratory health involves, among other things, proper air conditioning and well-ventilated rooms.

Importantly, a proper lifestyle also has a huge impact on all the aforementioned illnesses. And this brings us to the core of the matter: prevention is better than cure. But how can you provide your team with proper preventative care?

Solutions supporting health prevention

• Doing our COVID homework – the pandemic taught us that solutions such as the following have a positive impact on health proper physical distancing between employees, hand sanitizing stations and liquids, instructions on proper hygiene, and adequate room ventilation – these are still worth maintaining. Lower absenteeism – especially during peak illness seasons – can also be supported by hybrid work.
• "Healthy" infrastructure – beyond ensuring ergonomic workstations and proper lighting it is also worth creating space that encourages a healthy lifestyle. For large companies, this could include dedicated gyms, locker rooms and showers for those who cycle to work, or relaxation rooms that allow for unwinding after stressful meetings.
• Organized activities – from corporate yoga and health-focused webinars to access to massages or consultations with experts, such as a physiotherapist – the number of such solutions today is virtually unlimited.
• Creating opportunities – in the rush of daily duties, it is easy to forget about regular check-ups, so it is worth introducing events, such as awareness days for specific conditions, or incorporating gamification elements to encourage physical activity.
• The right benefits – a gym membership or medical care are just the basics these days. It is worth offering employees, for example, the opportunity for teleconsultations with specialists or access to important preventive screenings.

The best results naturally come from a synergy of solutions – for example, by organizing an Allergy Awareness Day, we can combine benefits (e.g., a respiratory allergy package or food allergy package available through MultiLife) with a relevant webinar and gamification (e.g., an employee quiz).

We know what to do, but what actions can harm a company?

Largely those that stem from… an excessive fight against sickness absence. So-called presenteeism – the tendency of employees to come to work despite being ill – can result in an entire department ending up on sick leave. Furthermore, as research by Dr. Małgorzata Pęciłło from the Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute shows, the costs of having sick employees at work can significantly exceed the costs incurred by the employer due to their absence [9]. It is therefore worth ensuring appropriate company culture and the type of employment contractsthat will prevent such actions.

By creating a healthy and friendly work environment and providing employees with the tools and opportunities for prevention or treatment, we reduce these types of risks. As a result, we build an efficient organization that generates profit while remaining employee-friendly.

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Sources:

1. https://wskaznikihr.pl/biblioteka/absencja_chorobowa_w_polsce_644d617f.
2. https://wskaznikihr.pl/biblioteka/jak_radzic_sobie_z_absencja_wsrod_pracownikow__ac45ae20.
3. https://www.pulshr.pl/rynek-zdrowia/jak-ograniczyc-absencje-chorobowa-pracownikow-oto-wskazowki,69152.html.
4. https://ipri.com.pl/blog/2020/10/19/prezenteizm-nieefektywna-obecnosc-w-pracy/.
5. https://zielonalinia.gov.pl/-/presenteeism-czyli-chory-w-pracy-28663.
6. https://www.ciop.pl/CIOPPortalWAR/appmanager/ciop/pl?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=P30001831335539182278&html_tresc_root_id=300001810&html_tresc_id=300001824&html_klucz=19558&html_klucz_spis=.
7. https://www.magazynrekruter.pl/absencja-chorobowa-kiedy-staje-sie-problemem/.
8. https://www.zus.pl/documents/10182/39590/Absencja+chorobowa_raport_2021.pdf/8ca8025c-f6dc-b02c-a7e4-5aa99d28af9a?t=1652869131280.
9. https://www.ciop.pl/CIOPPortalWAR/appmanager/ciop/pl?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=P30001831335539182278&html_tresc_root_id=300001810&html_tresc_id=300003928&html_klucz=19558&html_klucz_spis=.