Report exposes myths about sickness absence

Employers should stop peddling the myth about high rates of public-sector sick leave, new official research has shown.

The Health and Safety Executive’s Survey on workplace absence, sickness and (ill) health 2005 (SWASH) found differences of only about 0.3 days per employee between sickness absence rates in the public and private sector, when differences in the size of organisations and the age and gender profiles of their staff are taken into account.

If also uncovered evidence that private-sector employers, particularly those in smaller businesses, are more likely to under-record levels of employee absence.

The survey, based on 10,000 interviews with employees, revealed that employees in small private firms take an average of four days’ sick leave per year. For those in private companies employing more than 250 staff, the average sick leave is 7.2 days – very close to the 7.2-day average among public-sector employers, almost all of which have a workforce of more than 250.

The SWASH findings contrast with recent surveys by the CBI employers’ organisation and management consultants CIPD, which found greater differences in private- and public-sector sick leave. But even these surveys have recognised that levels of sickness absence are generally falling.

SWASH 2005 is available at www.hse.gov.uk/sicknessabsence/swash2005.pdf