24 July 2024
‘Sick note culture’: The culture mistakes making your employees ill
Defining 'Sick note culture'
Sickness absence rates have hit their highest levels in a decade. According to the CIPD, the average rate of employee absence stands at 7.8 days per employee per year. Some have suggested that this might be the result of a fundamental culture shift, where employees take time off they don’t need.
The truth, however, is significantly more complicated.
‘Pulling a sickie’- that is to say, taking a day off here and there is common, especially among employees with low levels of engagement. However, there is very little evidence to suggest that employees taking formal sick leave are secretly fit for work.
With the number of people claiming disability benefits increasing by 850,000 since 2020, and half of that number affected by poor mental health specifically, there’s clearly something going on.
According to Mind, 49% of people are comfortable talking about their mental health, compared with 29% from about a decade ago. People are much more likely to seek help for their mental health concerns, and that naturally means some of them are more likely to be signed off due to sickness.
The science backs this up. Employees who are overworked are more susceptible to a range of physical and mental illnesses. This can cause issues to compound.
The role of sick notes
What is the sick note rule in the UK?
A sick note (interchangeably referred to as a fit note) is a document that explains if an individual is not fit to work for more than seven days in a row. This timeframe includes non-working days like weekends.
Some fit notes might clarify under what circumstances an employee might be fit to work, usually mandating certain measures to be put in place. This can include things like flexible shifts, physical accommodations, or a staggered return to work.
Under current legislation, employees can get fit notes from:
- GPs
- Hospital doctors
- Registered nurses
- Occupational therapists
- Pharmacists
- Physiotherapists
While sick notes form an important backbone to many absence policies, they can cause complications with financial wellbeing. If an employee struggles to access (due to limited GP appointments, for example) this can lead to a delay in them being paid. Dealing with this while ill can lead to a lot of extra stress.
The impact of 'Sick note culture' on employees
Sick note culture can lead to employees simply not taking time off when they need it. That’s how illnesses spread through offices like wildfire, causing even more absenteeism and huge hits to productivity.
Where the need for time off is related to mental health, this can cause even bigger complications in the long term. It’s one of the leading causes of burnout, for example. If you create a culture where employees feel like they have no choice but to come in when they’re not up to work, you can actually cause more illnesses. It can also cause some otherwise mundane illnesses to progress
To learn more about burnout and the devastating impact it can have on your organisation, check out our ultimate guide.
This can all lead to a feedback loop. Absenteeism gets worse, employers clamp down, mental health and general wellbeing dips, causing more employees to need time off.
If you want a healthy workplace without a ‘sick note culture’ you need to take steps to address it.
Addressing sick note culture: a way forward
Clear attendance policies are a good starting point.
For example, what is expected of an employee when they have a nasty cold? Do they have to come into work? Are there provisions for remote work? Do they have to take it off unpaid? Set clear boundaries and make sure everyone can access those policies easily. Some organisations like to reward good attendance but do bear in mind this can backfire and have employees coming in when they shouldn’t.
Presenteeism has long been a problem for organisations, especially when it comes to wellbeing. According to the CIPD, three in four workers have observed presenteeism in the workplace.
Addressing the problems caused by a modern ‘always on’ culture is paramount. This is especially true with remote workers, who may feel the urge to work outside their hours due to a blurring of boundaries between work and home.
Any culture shifts you put in place need to come from the top down. If upper management are seen to engage in presenteeism or overworking themselves, then more junior employees will mimic them.
Good annual leave policies can also help this, and ensuring employees feel like they’re able to use their days off when they need them can also give everyone the time they need to mentally recover from work without compromising their careers or wages.
Engaging with employees who are on long term sickness absence without pressuring them to return before they’re ready is difficult but worthwhile, as it should help make the return to work a lot smoother. In cases where anxiety or depression is causing the issue, this can help set minds at ease.
Managing short term sickness is the best way for you to prevent long-term sickness taking root. Naturally, some employees will always need to take long term sick leave, but by providing a supportive work environment, you can nip short term absences in the bud before they develop into bigger problems.
If you want to learn more about how to support employees, take a look at our latest guide.
