How to create a joined-up wellbeing approach for employees with a long-term illness

The sickness absence rate for those with short-term health problems in 2018 was the lowest it has been since records began in 1997, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, the rate for those with long-term health problems has shown an increase on the preceding year. Here, we take a look at some of the potential barriers to the successful management of long-term illness in the workplace and some thoughts on good practice.

Two years ago, the UK government published its Improving Lives white paper. Its overall policy aim? To help more people with long-term disabilities and ill-health get in to work and stay in work. An understandable goal when the cost of these individuals not being in work amounts to around £9 billion a year to business and a staggering £100 billion to the economy, according to the white paper.

It therefore makes good business sense to have a strong and joined-up approach to address the key areas of mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing. However, this is easier said than done when every individual employee illness or disability is unique, as is their work and personal circumstances.

With the UK currently experiencing low unemployment and high turnover though, it is arguably more important than ever to support and retain skilled workers – regardless of any long-term illnesses.

Tightening the wellbeing threads

Neyber’s financial wellbeing research found over the past four years that financial worries can create mental and even physical health problems with stress, anxiety and sleep loss impacting performance. As the symptoms manifest, the ability to address those initial financial problems can reduce, resulting in a vicious cycle of cause and effect.

Nevertheless, as Rebekah Gerry, financial wellbeing lead at Neyber points out: “We see that when people take steps to improve their finances the cycle can be broken with improvements in mental and/or physical wellbeing. It’s important that employers try to tie together the key aspects of wellbeing to strengthen the overall support network they offer.”

Light at end of the tunnel

If the latest absence data from the ONS is anything to go by, it would appear that employers are managing to make the shift towards a holistic wellbeing approach; for those with no long-term health problems at least.

The official figures, released in November 2019, reveal that the rate of sickness absence in the UK for those with no long-term health problems has halved in the past two decades: from 2.2% to 1.1%. These percentages relate to the number of hours lost as a percentage of the total number worked.

The picture for those with long-term health conditions is a little different: the absence rate stood at 4.4% last year – a little more than half the 7% figure seen in 1997, but slightly higher than the lowest recorded: 3.9% in 2017.

Commenting on the ONS’ headline data, Anne de Bono, president of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, told The Times, the reduction “reflected better healthcare and a greater willingness among employers to support staff with problems”.

Although these figures are positive, is there more employers, employee benefit providers and consultants could do to tighten their approach to long-term illness and deliver greater value?

Partnership working matters

As with internal business departments, it’s commonplace for an organisation’s various benefit providers and, to a certain extent also their consultants, to operate in silos. A better understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities, and the way in which they could complement each other could pay dividends to all concerned.

So, what more could – or should – employers be doing to help strengthen the support for those with long-term conditions?

First, build those connections across business departments and providers. For example, where group income protection is in place, an organisation has access for all of its employees and their families – not just those insured – to a vast range of physical, psychological and financial wellbeing support services, arranged into integrated care pathways. And all at no extra direct service cost to the employer or the employee. However, bear in mind that tax advice should be sought when offering benefits to an employee’s family.

HR and risk collaboration is key, as many of these services could be used by the risk manager to help mitigate potential work-related stress employers’ liability claims: bringing financial and reputational benefits to business, not to mention long-term benefits to employees.

Meanwhile, momentum is growing for senior leaders to get on board with workplace wellbeing. In July 2019, the government launched a new consultation with proposals to reduce ill-health related job loss.

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) observed in its response to the consultation: “Having a [wellbeing] policy in place can be a useful first step to managing and supporting staff with long-term health conditions…but will not be enough if workplace practices are poor and cultures unsupportive”.

Management buy-in

The CMI believes that line managers are key to changing behaviours and changing how employees are supported. The best employers will ensure those managers are trained appropriately.

Interestingly, they point to the lessons that leaders can take from the work they are currently doing to build diversity, inclusiveness and gender balance in the workplace, specifically with regards to the need to gain board level sponsors and senior level role models.

Jeanette Makings, head of financial education at Close Brothers, agrees and goes further suggesting embedding wellbeing from the top down through all management lines, and harnessing the experiences of employees who are suffering from or have gone through long-term ill health as ‘champions’. She adds: “Wellbeing should be a bottom-line issue with targets and outcomes included in the reports and accounts as part of the overall corporate culture.”

On a final note, Dr Shaun Davis, global director of safety, health, wellbeing & sustainability at Royal Mail Group, whose team was recognised for their award-winning mental wellbeing strategy (of which financial wellbeing was a key pillar), commented in a recent blog post: “Senior leadership buy-in makes it easier to access the resources and ‘air time’ required amongst competing business priorities to deliver a successful wellbeing programme, which can really make a difference to individuals.”

The author is Tracey Ward, Head of Business Development & Marketing at Generali UK Employee Benefits.

This article is provided by Generali UK Employee Benefits.