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Today is Blue Monday. While the origins of Blue Monday are widely believed to stem from a travel company marketing campaign designed to encourage holiday bookings, the issues it highlights are very real. Mental health and sickness absence remain ongoing challenges for many care organisations.
For care organisations, absence carries a significant cost. This can include occupational health fees, overtime payments, temporary staffing costs and sick pay. Over time, these pressures can place strain on both budgets and teams.
There are also indirect impacts that are often overlooked.
When colleagues have to cover for absent team members, workloads increase and frustration can build, particularly if absence becomes frequent.
Projects and day to day tasks may slow down. Even employees with excellent attendance records can experience declining motivation if they regularly see others off sick.
Picking up unfamiliar tasks or managing higher workloads can lead to errors. In care settings, this can have serious implications where consistency and high standards of care are essential.
Managing absence effectively requires balance. Employers must support employee wellbeing while ensuring services continue safely and effectively.
Employees may need time away from work for many reasons beyond annual leave. Understanding the cause is the first step in managing absence appropriately.
Common reasons include.
Parents who lose a child under 18 or experience a stillbirth after 24 weeks are entitled to two weeks Parental Bereavement Leave and may qualify for Statutory Bereavement Pay. Many employers also offer discretionary paid or unpaid leave in other bereavement circumstances.
Monitoring and recording absence is essential. This allows employers to identify trends, manage recurring issues early and ensure fair and consistent decision making. Using an HR system can make this process far more effective.
A well written sickness absence policy sets expectations clearly. It explains employee responsibilities, reporting procedures and how absence is managed, while aligning with the organisation’s culture and values.
Return to work conversations should take place after every period of absence, regardless of length. Ideally held on the employee’s first day back, these discussions help identify any ongoing issues and show employees they are supported.
They can also highlight patterns early and allow employers to put reasonable adjustments or support in place before problems escalate.
Where absence becomes long term or recurring, medical evidence can be invaluable. Occupational health assessments can provide insight into diagnosis, recovery timelines and recommendations to support a safe and sustainable return to work.
Stress, anxiety and depression remain among the leading causes of sickness absence. In 2024, 76 percent of employees reported taking time off due to stress according to CIPD research.
Care roles are demanding, both physically and emotionally. Employers should regularly review how they support staff wellbeing. This might include access to employee assistance programmes, mental health support, private medical cover, encouraging regular breaks and ensuring staff take their full holiday entitlement.
Supporting mental health is not just the right thing to do, it benefits everyone. Healthier teams are more engaged, more resilient and far less likely to experience prolonged absence.
Blue Monday may only come once a year, but the importance of wellbeing and proactive absence management should remain a priority all year round.
For any questions around HR and how, working with our partners we can provide a suite of solutions, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01273 424904 and speak to our People team.
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