Sickness absences and pay settlements rising, says Make UK
2 Mar 2023
Sickness absence in the country’s manufacturing industry rose in 2022 for the first time in more than five years, increasing from 2% in 2021 to 2.5%, warns Make UK.
Noting an even split between physical health issues and mental health problems, Make UK’s Sickness Absence Benchmark survey found that nearly half of all long-term absences were caused by either mental health issues or work-related stress.
Nearly a third (30%) of long-term absence came from mental health problems, with a further 11% caused by work-related stress.
Labour turnover was down to 20% from 25% in 2021, but after excluding redundancies, it actually rose from 17% to 19.9%, warned the trade association.
Nearly one in two companies responding to three Make UK surveys – the Sickness Absence Benchmark, Labour Turnover and HR Bulletin statistics – said that half of their staff turnover was attributable to retirement.
Pay settlements have also risen, according to the Make UK data: In the last three months reviewed, 17.5% of responding firms who awarded pay rises had agreed settlements in excess of 6%.
Pic: Los Muertos Crew
