Category: Health and Safety for Contractors

The benefits of offering wellbeing schemes have been highlighted by one employment expert.

Bosses are investing more in the health of their freelance contractors and permanent staff and taking absence management more seriously, said Sue Hayday, senior research fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies.

"Employers can learn that their staff are more willing to come into work in the present climate and that their wellbeing initiatives are having positive benefits for their organisations," she commented.

Ms Hayday also highlighted the need to not only have wellbeing initiatives in place, but to ensure they are managed effectively, and to ensure workers are engaged with the firm.

Figures from the Confederation of British Industry have revealed that absence cost the UK economy £17 billion in 2009, with a total of 180 million working days lost due to staff calling in sick.

This is the lowest absence rate since the survey began in 1987.

Posted by John Crawley