The consequences of ill health can be significant for a business, with considerable direct and indirect costs arising from sickness absence. To a small business owner, every person within the business matters so absence due to ill health can be detrimental to a small business when compared to other businesses. However, it is possible to reduce the risk of long absences due to ill health by actively promoting a culture of wellbeing and open dialogue with your team.
Managing sickness absence
It’s important to manage ill health absence effectively. Equally – if not more – important, is prevention. A good place to start is building and sustaining a positive, supportive workplace culture where employees are encouraged to lead healthy, active lives and have a good work/life balance. And, if they become ill or injured, ensure they are supported by encouraging them to take time off when necessary for check-ups and medical appointments.
However, presenteeism – where employees attend work when unwell and perform below par – also comes at a cost. A Deloitte report found the cost of presenteeism (working when unwell and being less productive) and leaveism (improper use of leave) increased by up to £45 billion1. It is important to encourage staff to take time off from work when they are unwell to ensure that they allow themselves time to rest and recuperate.
Mental health in the workplace
Alongside promoting the importance of a physically active lifestyle to your team, it is also crucial to encourage everyone to look after their mental health and wellbeing. The HSE reported stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 17 million days lost over 2021/222. If an employer works to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, then it can be a great start in encouraging a culture of open dialogue. This could mean that employees feel more comfortable in openly discussing mental health at work. Promoting a healthy work/life balance and a wellbeing culture at work can also contribute to a positive working environment. This can be encouraged by:
- Encouraging your staff to take all of their annual leave allowance
- Promoting that time off is actually time off, by discouraging weekend and out of hours work
- Encouraging employees to make full use of their lunch break and go for a walk
- If your business allows for it, providing your team with the opportunity to flex their working hours if they'd like to
Nutrition and exercise
When it comes to tackling the subject of lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise in your business, understandably, this may feel a little awkward. But these elements of our lives can significantly affect both physical and psychological health. Poor physical health can be bad news for your mood, self-esteem, energy levels and resilience. But even simple measures and subtle changes such as encouraging a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise can be beneficial for both physical and mental health.
A healthy, confident team is an asset to any small business and prevention, early intervention and allowing employees sufficient time to recover from ill health or injury are all key to positive attendance management. By actively engaging with your workforce to support their health and wellbeing – and not forgetting your own – you can go a long way to creating a workplace culture that optimises performance and productivity.
Workplace wellbeing survey
If you’re struggling to identify ways in which you can improve the wellbeing culture within your business, it could be beneficial to conduct a wellbeing survey among your workforce. Directly asking employees for ideas on how to improve the culture within your business may identify solutions and benefits that could increase their sense of satisfaction and happiness at work.
How we can help
At AXA Health, we understand that every business is different, with different wants and needs when it comes to health insurance. That’s why we think that the best way for you to get the healthcare cover that’s right for your business is to let you build your plan yourself. We offer a range of cover options for you to choose from, so you can build a plan that's the best fit for you and your team.
Whichever options you choose, all of our small business health insurance plans come with access to our online GP service, AXA Doctor at Hand (powered by Doctor Care Anywhere). This gives you and your team access to appointments with a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner lasting up to 20 minutes at a time and place that works for you (subject to appointment availability). GPs are available 24/7 and Advanced Nurse Practitioners are available from 8am-10pm.
Find out more about our small business health insurance, including what we do and don’t cover, and get a quote today.