22nd September 2004
Leading income protection provider, UnumProvident, has surveyed a cross-section of the UK adult population to establish the number of working days taken off each year due to the most common non-infectious health problems, such as backache, fatigue, depression and anxiety.
Of those surveyed, 21 per cent claim to have taken time off, at some point over the past five years, because of these complaints. Based on these findings and extrapolating for the entire UK adult population, UnumProvident suggests that up to 1.92 million people could collectively take almost 175 million days off work this year as a result of suffering from these most common ailments.
Many of these people may be off for long periods of time. UnumProvident believes more needs to be done to assist employees in their recovery from these conditions and help prevent these illnesses occurring in the first place.
Again, if survey results are extrapolated to encompass the entire UK population, 9.6 million people may have taken time off work as a result of the seven most common non-infectious ailments, which include: backache, fatigue, chest pains, stomach problems, depression and anxiety/stress. Of these conditions, the survey revealed that, among respondents, backache was the most common cause for time off. This was followed by anxiety and stress, and headaches.
Judging by the survey, those people suffering from depression seem to take the most time off, on average around 36 days over the past five years. This was followed by anxiety and stress where, according to the survey, sufferers took an average of 20 days off work since 1999.
Dr Peter Dewis, Customer Care Director at UnumProvident, said:
Sickness absence is growing and it now costs employers over £11 billion a year. It is vital to understand why this problem is increasing and what can be done to tackle it.
We have recently entered into a five year research partnership with Cardiff University to conduct research on why people respond differently to the same disease, with some able to carry on working whilst others have to stop. More needs to be done to help people with their rehabilitation and, if possible, to return to work.
The Centre, which represents an investment by UnumProvident of £1.6 million over the five year contract, will be the first in the UK to develop specific lines of research in psychosocial factors related to disability as well as conducting research for the application of research based vocational rehabilitation interventions and assessment of psychosocial determinants of ill-health behaviours impacting upon work capability.
ENDS