The cost of sick employees

Not many people other than doctors like to be around people who are sick all the time and this is especially the case while at work.Having sick people at work can be very distracting and having people missing from work because they are ill can be equally challenging for other employees and customers.The cost of having sick employees is getting greater and greater each year and businesses are doing many things to reduce the cost and frequency of this happening.

There have been many, many research studies done over the years that explain how and why employees miss work and what kind of impact their absence has on the businesses involved and the economy as a whole.These research studies are not prompting many companies to take matters into their own hands because no one else seems to be making the effort to stem the problem.These programs and endeavors by employers are getting a lot of attention, both from the media and from employees, and there are many strides they are making in reducing the cost of employee sickness.

It is said that headaches, back pain, arthritis, and other muscle or joint pain account for more than $60 billion each year in lost productivity.While this is a very large figure, many businesses are challenged by realizing how this actually affects them.Some say that this amount is just a drop in the bucket compared to other costs that are part of daily business.But the cost is still very real and very significant for many businesses especially in these times when employees are trying to reduce costs in any way possible.And what many people forget is that this is just the cost for a few ailments and loss of productivity and not by any means the most that is spent on any one area.Employers are taking measures to ensure that things like this don't happen or that the problems are solved to make life at business easier.

While many people quote these figures, they are only part of the puzzle.Employee health insurance is very important to most people these days and is among the most compelling reasons for a person to accept or stay at a job for whatever period of time.But what most employees don't realize, or just take for granted, is that the company is probably paying half or more of the health insurance premiums.This cost can be very high for the company and increases as the number of employees rises.This increase is even more dramatic when the employees are not in good health. The amount and type of claims made on a group policy in any given year can increase the rate of the policy for everyone involved.Having unhealthy employees with severe health problems and significant expenses can make the plan more expensive for everyone involved in any way with the policy.While this can provide some incentive for people to remain healthy, it can also be very discouraging and can create even more stress around the health of employees.

While no one can really say definitively what the true cost per employee of having sick employees is, there is enough research and evidence that having sick employees causes very real and very significant expense to the company.You cannot control what your employees do while at home and it is not your responsibility to make sure they are healthy and always as fit as possible, but it does make sense for you to make a sincere effort to help them be healthy.This can create goodwill and also will make your investment in these employees pay off quicker.Happy and healthy employees are better and more effective and can really prove their value over time.Work to have the happiest and healthiest employees possible.