Centre for Mental Health

A new report by the Work Foundation confirms that 'sickness presence' is something employers should take seriously, with a small survey showing that over a 4-week period 45% of employees self-reported one or more days of sickness presence, compared with 18% reporting one or more days of sickness absence. (See also their blog post on the subject.)

Citing the Sainsbury Centre's Mental Health at Work, the report notes the high estimated costs of ill health at work, and supplies important UK data that employers can use to begin get to grips with ‘sickness presence’ in their own businesses.

Sainsbury Centre would welcome further research into this important issue, to help employers create workplaces that both benefit employees for whom work is an important part of recovery from mental illness and can respond appropriately to employees experiencing mental distress at work.