Each year in SA, companies lose about R19,1bn in lost productivity due to employees taking time off sick. The most common complaints are musculoskeletal, respiratory and digestive illnesses.
"Some of these illnesses may be exacerbated by the workplace environment, such as poor seating arrangements or, ventilation," says Johnny Johnson, CE of Corporate Absenteeism Management System (Cams). But he says an analysis of absenteeism trends shows that different industries and types of workers take sick leave for different reasons. High income earners, for example, have a much lower absenteeism rate in general because they have higher responsibility levels and need to be at work even when suffering from minor ailments.
Cams research found that flu was the number one cause of illness across all income groups, except the highest paid.
Neck pain was the main cause of absenteeism in groups earning R30 000 or more. Lower back pain was the second-biggest cause among those earning between R3 000 and R5 000 as well as those between R5 000 and R10 000. "Lower income groups tend to be blue-collar workers with more physical jobs."
For those earning between R10 000 and R20 000 gastro-enteritis was the second cause of absenteeism. This group mostly consists of those at the start of their careers - and they tend to eat out a lot and party at weekends. "This can lead to gastro-enteritis symptoms on a Monday morning," he says.
In the R20 000-R30 000 income group, the second most common reason for missing work was bronchitis.
Stress is also increasingly cited as a reason for workers taking time off sick. About 3,4% of sick leave taken in SA this year was due to depression and anxiety. "This is likely to get worse as the economic situation worsens," says Johnson.
He says some firms have come up with innovative measures to keep their staff healthy. For example, some have begun providing debt counselling to workers.
But there is also widespread abuse of sick leave. "Most firms tend to feel that they can't question an employee's reason for being off sick," he says. "But they have a right to understand a person's diagnosis and can be helpful in managing it."
WHAT IT MEANS
 High earners have a low absenteeism rate
Stress and anxiety affecting all workers
|
He says under the Occupational Health & Safety Act companies are required to provide safe working environments for their employees. But confidentiality issues make it difficult for employers to become actively involved in managing a person's health. "It's easier to outsource this function to an independent provider," says Johnson.
He says companies should focus on employees whose absenteeism patterns fall outside normal trends. Behaviour such as visiting a range of different doctors or bringing sick notes with different diagnosis should serve as warning signals.
By implementing simple procedures, such as requiring employees who have taken time off sick to report to a senior manager and explain their illness on their return can have a marked effect on managing absenteeism levels. "Workers are less likely to cheat if they have to explain to someone eye-to-eye rather than drop a sick note in a box."
