Stress

ONS stats reduction in absence due to stress, showing
a rare in contrast to the overall rise in sickness absence recorded in latest
ONS employment figures

The increase in the number of people
signed off work on long-term sick absence, reported by the Office of National
Statistics (ONS) as part of the latest employment statistics, should not be
seen as evidence of an overall increase in the proportion of people suffering
from stress, according to Unum, one of the UK’s leading providers of financial
protection.

The insurer’s own recent research
has shown that the long-term trend of stress resulting in long-term sickness
absence is decreasing, with the proportion of all long-term sickness absence
cases attributed to stress falling by ten percent in the past four years;
stress now accounts for 23 percent of all long-term absences, compared to 33
percent in 2006.

Michael O’Donnell, Chief Medical Officer at
Unum, comments: “The decrease in stress as a cause of long-term sickness absence
that we have recorded may be due to the companies concerned gradually tackling
stress issues in the workplace, or because some employees would rather have
another diagnosis than ‘stress’. This trend is also shown in the Labour Force
Survey, which has been consistent with our findings over the last five years.

“We need to be careful not to be premature
in drawing conclusions from the ONS figures. It is inevitable that job losses
will include those with mental ill health, including stress. Additionally,
normal anxiety about job loss is rational and should not be confused with
mental ill health.

“It is a sad fact that stigma against mental
ill health still exists at work, and many people do not feel able to talk about
such problems with their employers. It’s important to acknowledge that it
is natural to experience stress and there are ways to manage it, including
making use of employee assistance programmes, which are increasingly offered
through the workplace; careful financial planning and organisation; and
communication with line managers or HR if the employee feels comfortable to do
so.

“There is much evidence to show that being
in work is better for your health.  We should therefore be very careful
before encouraging people to go off sick with stress and into the very
situation they are most frightened of – that is being out of work.”

22 June 2010