Senior HR professionals do not know the average daily cost of employee absence for their organisation.

Investment in improving return to work rates has largely stalled or reduced in 2013.

Research conducted by business insurance specialist, QBE, has found that awareness of the cost of employee absence to business is staggeringly low among Senior HR professionals. 72 percent of those surveyed, who represented organisations of all sizes throughout the UK, did not know the average daily cost of employee absence.

Worryingly, 62 percent of those surveyed were not aware of on-going employer’s liability claims within their organisation with only just over a third (34 percent) actively involved in the purchase of their employer’s liability insurance cover. The QBE survey also revealed that investment in improving return to work rates has either stalled or reduced in 2013 (as indicated by 56 percent of those surveyed) and that the majority (64 percent) did not believe that NHS services were actively supporting their organisation in getting absent employees back to work.

Rosie Hewitt, Rehabilitation Manager at QBE commented“ The direct cost of employee absence to the UK economy was estimated at £14 billion in 2012* and improving return to work rates would significantly reduce this figure.  We know that early intervention dramatically improves recuperation and consequently return to work rates, which is why having the right rehabilitation programmes in place can have a huge impact. It is essential that Senior HR personnel are more cognizant of their employee absence rates, have a  management plan in place and are actively consulted when their company is purchasing employers’ liability cover.”

* CBI Absence and workplace health survey 2013