Discover how to tackle the tricky topic of sickness absence in the NHS and keep your people happy, healthy and present
As the backbone of our society, NHS staff devote their lives to keeping us well – but who's keeping them well?
A 2024 press release from the Royal College of Nursing revealed that nearly 7 million working days were lost to illness among nurses and health visitors in 2023, with stress being the main culprit.
Depression, anxiety and other stress-related illnesses accounted for nearly a quarter of the total sick days in the NHS that year – more than double the rate of any other type of illness. In fact, the average nurse took an entire week off in 2023 because of NHS pressures becoming so severe.
So, how can you support the health of your NHS staff, tackle absenteeism and keep frontline workers happy, healthy and present?
Let's get into it.
Care that covers all bases
If you want to reduce absenteeism, the first thing you need to think about is providing support for every part of your staff's wellbeing – that includes mental, physical and financial.
Creating a culture of compassion where employees feel safe reaching out for help before issues escalate is key to keeping them healthy and in work. That's where Vivup’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Your Care platform come in.
Together they create an ecosystem of care with access to vital tools that help keep staff fighting fit. Whether it's through self-help resources, counselling or 24/7 telephone support, employees can access the right help at the right time.
Crucially, both platforms encourage early intervention – helping staff recognise when something's not right and enabling them to reach out before it becomes a bigger issue.
Healthcare without the wait
Just because NHS staff work within the system doesn't mean they get to skip the queue to see a GP. And it's not just stress-related issues causing absences in the sector – colds, flu and stomach bugs are among the top reasons NHS staff call in sick. That's why giving them access to a digital GP service can be game changing.
With Online GP, staff can connect to a doctor from anywhere. This helps cut down long wait times and the need to take time off work for appointments. It could also promote better work-life balance since they won't have to use their precious free time to squeeze in a visit to the doctor.
Fast access to care means that staff can get seen and sorted sooner, keeping them healthy and making it easier for them to bounce back.
Stretching paychecks without pay rises
We support over 80% of the NHS, so we’re well-versed on the challenges the sector faces. Through our talks with NHS leaders, we've spotted a pattern: a spike in employees taking sick leave around pay day. That suggests a struggle to afford basics like getting to work, paying for parking or putting petrol in their cars. And with NHS budgets already stretched, pay rises are not always an option – but providing benefits that support financial wellbeing can help your people’s money go further.
Perks such as Lifestyle Savings offer discounts on essentials like supermarket shopping, food and drink, and utilities, helping cut down everyday costs. Cycle to Work schemes let staff save big on bikes and safety gear, helping to give them a more affordable (and sustainable) way to get to work.
With Car Leasing schemes, employees can spread the cost of a car and enjoy the protection of a complete motoring package. Our Home and Electronics benefit enables them to spread the cost of tech, homeware and more from their salary – which is great when an essential appliance like a washing machine breaks down. Instead of resorting to high-interest loans or credit cards, they can cover the cost in a manageable way.
But it's not just about saving money – it's about empowering staff to make smart financial decisions. That's why providing access to financial tools and resources is so important, as it can help staff manage their spending, saving and budgeting.
Plus, with platforms like Your Care which we mentioned earlier, NHS workers can get support for financial issues like debt so they can feel more in control and less stressed.
Creating a culture of wellbeing
To tackle the challenges causing your NHS staff to call in sick, assessing their needs is a must. Are they struggling with physical health? Then an Online GP service could help. Is stress an ongoing issue? Providing mental health support could be the key.
Wellbeing shouldn't be a one-off initiative – it needs to become part of your organisation’s daily rhythm. Just like brushing their teeth, staff need to know that small, consistent actions make a big impact over time.
Above all, you should be striving to create an environment where employees feel safe to ask for support before things get to crisis point. To learn more about how our benefits can help you create that kind of culture, get in touch today.
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Salary Sacrifice: Terms & Conditions apply (T&Cs apply)
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Cycle to Work: Your organisation is a broker and not a lessor. SME HCI Ltd (trading as Vivup), 3 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Ref 626422). UK Only, 18+, subject to status, terms apply. Figures shown are a guide only and dependent on your own personal situation. Excludes End of Agreement fee (if applicable). Bikes available may be subject to your organisation scheme limit.
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