Absence rates fall with attempts to improve morale

According to Buck Consultants, who surveyed 600 companies in 25 countries, less than half (46%) that adopted an absence management strategy have reported a moderate to high reduction in employee absence as a result compared with 61% who made an effort to improve morale and engagement.

In the UK 16.4% of employers have fully implemented a health promotion and wellness strategy, while 34.5% have partially implemented a programme that they intend to develop over the next two years. Only 3.6% have no plans at the moment to introduce a wellbeing strategy.

But the survey showed 41% of UK companies do not measure the impact their workplace wellness strategies have on absenteeism.

Adrian Norris, head of Buck Consulting's UK health consulting practice, said: "Even a small incremental reduction in employee absence can produce considerable savings for employers. Worldwide 40% to 60% of organisations are not measuring the impact of these strategies and don't know the extent of the benefits."

He added: "In the current climate, we fully expect employers to increasingly recognise the impact a fully implemented wellness strategy can have on employee engagement and productivity - and tools to better measure return on investment will continue to evolve."