Sickness absence is one of the biggest costs to employers, and absence rates are a key metric when it comes to cost control.
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Absence

IRS absence rates and costs 2009: 3.3% of working time lost to absence
Absence accounted for 3.3% of working time in 2009, equivalent to about seven-and-a-half days per employee, according to latest IRS research. Employers estimate the cost of absence to be £500 per head of staff in 2009, although most calculations fail to take account of the many direct and indirect effects of sickness absence on productivity.

How occupational therapists can support a return to work
An audit of NHS-based occupational health services for Fife and Tayside shows how occupational therapists can support a return to work.

Helping staff based overseas to deal with stress
Recent research shows a growing problem with staff based overseas suffering from stress caused by UK organisations failing to keep in regular contact.

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Take part in IRS research

Competencies: the 2010 IRS survey
Competencies have now become an accepted part of many organisations' HR practices, so this is an ideal time to benchmark your organisation’s experience of using competencies against other employers.

In return for completing this survey, we will provide you with a free copy of the research report as soon as it is ready.

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Edited highlights

Health and safety risks in green industries
The move towards a green economy brings with it new jobs and rapidly changing ways of working. With these come health and safety and ergonomics challenges, but much can and should be done to design equipment and work areas to allow staff to work comfortably and to reduce risks to their health.

Driver ergonomics: how to avoid repetitive driving injuries
Vehicle safety is not just about driving well and avoiding accidents: a good driving position can make a huge difference to health.

HR implications of new Government
With a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition focusing on economic stability, reforms affecting the workplace could be put on the back burner for some time.

Government must address fears over scrapping default retirement age
The next Government has been urged to address HR chiefs’ concerns over scrapping or raising the default retirement age - IRS research found that three-quarters of the profession do not want to see the legislation changed.

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News and views from XpertHR

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› Sick staff cost £19.5bn a year

› HSE unveils tool to help spot RSI

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Editor's message

2009 ABSENCE RATES
Sickness absence is one of the biggest costs to employers, and absence rates are a key metric when it comes to cost control. Each year, IRS surveys employers to get a clear picture on absence rates and costs. This year, we heard from 256 employers and the findings are based on a sample of 386 absence statistics.

The results show that the public sector has the highest median absence rate - 3.8% compared with 2.4% in manufacturing and production and 2.6% in private sector services - which marries with previous findings and common conception. However, with spending cuts in the public sector expected, this is one key area where HR practitioners in this sector can cut costs - XpertHR has a wide variety of tools to help improve absence rates.

We’re always looking at new ways to present our research findings, and have included some interactive Flash charts in our absence rates survey. Let us know what you think - do they make the data easier to interpret? I look forward to hearing from you.

Noelle Murphy
Attendance and absence, XpertHR

 

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