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management & education news

LONG COVID FUELLING STAFF ABSENCES

AMONG UK EMPLOYERS, RESEARCH FINDS

LONG COVID HAS become one of the
main causes of long-term staff absences
among a quarter of UK employers, new
research shows.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development (CIPD) found that
26 per cent of companies now cite
the condition as a main cause of
extended absence, in a survey of 804
organisations that represent more than
4.3 million employees.
The CIPD said that 46 per cent of
the organisations had employees that
had experienced long Covid, which is LONG COVID IS HAVING A MARKED EFFECT ON
associated with fatigue, brain fog and THE UK’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY
memory issues, and that more should
be done to support workers with the However, she warned that, as symptoms after becoming infected
condition, reports The Independent. a relapsing-remitting disorder, with the coronavirus.
“Long Covid remains a growing issue “measuring continuous absence will More than 550,000 of these have
that employers need to be aware of, and leave out a substantial number” of been living with long Covid for at least
they should take appropriate steps to people living with long Covid. 12 months, the ONS figures show, more
support employees with the condition,” “Many are back at work but not than half of whom say the condition has
said Rachel Suff, Senior Policy Adviser performing at 100 per cent of pre- impacted their ability to live a normal life.
for Employment Relations at the CIPD. pandemic levels,” she said. “This is part The CIPD said that a fifth of
Dr Elaine Maxwell, lead author of the of the silent pandemic that will impede employers didn’t know whether their
Living with Covid-19 reviews conducted recovery in a range of industries.” workers were experiencing ongoing
by the National Institute for Health Estimates from the Office for National symptoms following Covid infection,
Research, said the figures were the Statistics (ONS) suggest that, as of 2 and only 19 per cent provided guidance
“canary in the mine” for the prevalence January, about 1.3 million people in for employees about managing health
of long Covid in the UK. the UK were suffering from persistent conditions while at work.

TWO IN FIVE DISABLED WORKERS NOT RECEIVING

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS, RESEARCH FINDS

TWO IN FIVE disabled employees adjustments that respondents said
are not receiving the reasonable they were missing were more control
adjustments they need from their over their work schedule; more
employer, a poll has found. patience and understanding from
The survey of 400 workers, others; clearer communication; and PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE NOT GETTING
THE SUPPORT THEY NEED AT WORK
conducted by Pearn Kandola, found additional time for some tasks, reports
that 27 per cent of individuals who People Management. of requesting adjustments.
had disclosed their disability to their Jonathan Taylor, Managing Pearn Kandola also polled
employer said they were not receiving Psychologist at Pearn Kandola, said the 150 UK managers, finding that a
the adjustments they needed. research showed the need for businesses significant proportion did not feel
This increased to three in five to “raise awareness of disability, of confident supporting employees with
(59 per cent) among those who different conditions, and critically, of the disabilities or health conditions.
had not disclosed their disability practical adjustments that can be offered The poll found that less than half
– which the report said could be to colleagues with disabilities”. (48 per cent) of managers polled said
because organisations that are poor He added that normalising they were confident in supporting
at providing adjustments are also reasonable adjustments and making an employee with a mental health
more likely to be poor at creating an them visible was “a key influence condition, dropping to 44 per cent for a
environment where individuals feel on many of our survey respondents mobility or physical condition; 39 per
safe sharing that they have a disability. making their own requests”, calling on cent for a hearing impairment; and 34
Among the most common reasonable organisations to simplify the process per cent for a learning difficulty.

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24/02/2022 10:36
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