Employees at food processors pulled fewer 'sickies' in 2007 than in the previous year, according to a supplier of online software that enables firms to estimate the cost of days lost through sickness.
The tool is the brainchild of BUPA UK Health Insurance and accessible via http://www.costofabsence.com. Using the tool, BUPA UK has calculated that the average food manufacturer with 100 employees reduced the cost of sickness absence to £49,300 in 2007, compared to £61,800 for 2006.
Drawing on statistics compiled by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the tool also enables companies to benchmark absence rates against the food industry average.
Preventative action, through occupational health programmes, helped the food industry reduce instances of absence from 10.6 days in 2006 to 9.4 days, or 4.1% of working time, this year, according to BUPA UK.
Ann Greenwood, director of business markets for BUPA UK Health Insurance, said businesses needed to understand the impact sickness absence can have on performance, productivity and efficiency.
"Costofabsence.com provides an instant calculation tailored to any organisation, whatever shape or size," she said. "As the food industry has shown, sickness absence can be addressed if businesses take preventative action to reduce staff sickness."
BUPA advised that companies aiming to reduce absence should ensure they have a clear management policy for such things. It said they should monitor cases and target "hot spots" as well as offering specialist advice on common problems. Health assessments for employees and private medical insurance to ensure prompt treatments could also help reduce time lost through sickness absence, it added.