Helping small businesses manage employee sickness
NHS Direct is working with NHS Plus on the delivery of a free ‘Health for Work Adviceline’ for small businesses.
The service aims to help businesses employing up to 250 people to quickly and effectively address the issue of employee ill health, minimise the impact of staff illness, and to provide essential support to staff with physical or mental health issues.
Small business employers can directly access professional occupational health advice on freephone 0800 0 77 88 44. The adviceline is available Monday to Friday, between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. Out of office hours, employers can complete a callback form via the website at www.health4work.nhs.uk and will be phoned back the next working day.
NHS Direct handles the initial call to the advice line, taking details from the employer, before NHS Plus staff carry out an assessment of their individual needs. Callers can then be referred to local occupational health professionals for a more detailed discussion about their requirements.
The adviceline is a key initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of working age people in the UK and has handled over 1,000 calls since its launch in December 2009.
It can provide expert support to help employers to:
- Get an employee back to work after long-term sickness.
- Manage the impact on their business when an employee takes time off work through ill health.
- Support an employee and benefit from their abilities if they are at work with health issues.
- Encourage and support an employee who is off work, yet wants to return and contribute to the business.
- Develop a working culture where illness is less likely to occur.
The effect that employee absenteeism and ill health has on profitability can often be overlooked in a small firm, due to the daily demands of establishing and growing the business.
Intervening early can help an employee with a health condition stay at work or return to work more quickly after a period of sickness absence, helping the business to reduce absenteeism, improve staff morale and increase productivity.
For more information about Health for Work visit www.health4work.nhs.uk.
