Occupation

The type of work being done is likely to have a strong bearing on sickness absence. Absence is lowest for managers, directors and senior officials (1.3% of working hours lost, ONS, 2013), skilled trades, professional and “associate professional” occupations. This could be evidence of presenteeism by managers.

Above average levels of sickness were recorded by ONS for sales and customer services jobs (2.1% of working time); administrative and secretarial (2.2%); process, plant and machinery operatives (2.4%); and “elementary” occupations (2.5%). The highest rate was in caring, leisure and other service occupations, 3.2%.

These patterns can be seen within individual sectors and organisations, as well as between them. In the NHS, for example, monitoring organisation QualityWatch points out that absence rates are consistently higher in ambulance trusts. That fits with mental health charity MIND’s finding of a higher prevalence of poor mental health among workers in the emergency services, in research reported in March 2015.

www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/mind-research-finds-stress-affects-nine-in-ten-emergency-services-personnel.