Monday 15th January marks “Blue Monday” - the name given to the day that is claimed to be the most depressing of the year. 

Opening up to a nurse

Many years ago, I had a boss who I got on with very well; we worked hard as a team and had fun too. He knew I wasn’t the type to ‘pull-a-sickie’. Despite my excellent sickness record (a handful of days in 5 years), character and commitment, I hated making a call to him to let him know I was sick. He’d always make me feel like I could come in, but didn’t want to. He’d ask...

Relationships play a huge part in our working lives. In terms of absence, both the good and the bad can create ugly situations that can have a lasting impact.

Up to 300,000 people with long-term mental health problems have to leave their jobs each year, according to a new Government report. 

You might think that stomach aches, upsets and related symptoms are a common reason for staff being absent from work. In fact though, employees who regularly complains of such issues should arouse either your suspicions or concerns, as gastro-related sickness is less common than you might think. 

If managing absence is part of your role, you’ll be all too familiar with the top three reasons for its occurrence:

When it comes to identifying health issues, is your company absence record more valuable than your GP’s notes?

If you look back on all your work absences, how many of those times did you visit your GP?

My guess is, on average, less than 50%.

Matthew Scrimshire, Business Development Manager and absence expert at FirstCare, explains why.  

• Trained nurses are on call 24/7.
• “Code Red” is an urgent call.
• Red Flags are identified during a triage assessment and signals health concern.
• Other advice reduces absence levels.
• Speedier returns to work.
• Staff morale gains boost.

Kayleigh has had enough of work and fancies “throwing a sickie”. That’s the scenario that had hilarious consequences in last night’s episode of “Peter Kay's Car Share” on BBC 1.

• Absence is responsible for huge losses to workforce efficiency.
• Many construction businesses aren’t aware of the extent of the problem.

Despite recent boosts – thanks to large infrastructure projects and new transport links – productivity is a serious issue for the construction sector.