Keep Your Workforce Well This Winter With Sickness Absence Management

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Allison Caine

It’s prime cold and flu season, but keeping your workforce well this winter will help your business be more productive and more profitable.

Sickness absence as a year-round issue for businesses. It costs the UK economy £29 billion per annum. But in winter, with colds, coughs, flu and Christmas party hangovers to contend with, sickness absence can seem more virulent than ever before.

OHBM offers sickness absence management services to help you minimise the impact of staff who don’t turn in. We’ll look at everything from helping you encourage healthy habits among your employees, to return-to-work interviews and even helping staff recover more quickly. It all adds up to improvements for your business’ bottom line.

For further details and a free consultation, speak to the OHBM team. We’re committed to helping the North West’s businesses improve profitability, morale and success, even through the bleakest midwinter.

OHBM At The CIPD Conference, Manchester

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Allison Caine

At Occupational Health Business Management, we were proud to exhibit at the CIPD Conference in Manchester on the 5th and 6th November.

The conference was a real success and we met some very interesting people there. Take a look at some of the images of our stand below:

Thank you to all who attended CIPD Manchester

We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who came to visit us at our stand, we’ll be seeing some of you again very soo. We’d also like to announce the winner of our prize draw.

Without further ado, let’s give a huge congratulations to…

Jessica Hannon, of Flint Bishop Solicitors

She has won an overnight stay at the Lakeside Hotel and Spa, on Lake Windermere, including a full English breakfast. Congratulations to her, thank you to everyone who came to our stand and entered the draw.

Stay posted for information on our next conference.

What Is Sickness Absence Policy And How Can It Benefit Your Business?

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Allison Caine

When you run a business you’ll know that from time to time you’ll have to deal with absent staff for one reason or another. When staff go off sick, you’ll need the right procedures in place to manage the gap in the workplace, and ensure employees are supported in their return to work. This forms your sickness absence policy.

Sickness costs the UK economy around £17 billion every year, when businesses have to hire temporary cover, when work falls behind schedule and when employee morale is damaged by the extra workload.

Your sickness absence policy needn’t be difficult to implement but in order to keep sickness and absence to a minimum and ensure business continues to operate effectively, there are essential steps to take.

These include:

Monitoring sickness absence levels

Your sickness absence policy needs to enable you to record and monitor the amount of workplace absenteeism in order for you to determine how much it is costing your business. Understanding which employees are taking time off and why can help you to find ways to boost employee health – physically and mentally – and reduce time off.

Make sickness absence policy clear to all staff

Employees need to understand the appropriate methods of informing senior staff of their sickness. For example, they may be required to personally phone in, as opposed to emailing or getting a friend or relative to do it on their behalf.

Return to work interviews and instances whereby number of periods of sickness trigger disciplinary action need to be made clear to staff.

Consider workplace health and well-being

In addition to helping staff return to work, your policy should delve into the reason why staff are taking time off sick. This might highlight ways you can reduce stress levels or encourage screen breaks to protect your employees and your business.

Employee absence has a damaging effect on profitability, morale and success. Proactive, effective management is essential to this. A good occupational health service can help you implement your sickness absence policy with ease and speed.

Talk to the team at OHBM about your sickness absence policy today.