Data from FirstCare, the UK’s leading absence management company, reveals the impact of COVID-19 on workplace absence during the lockdown period (April to June 2020).
The data – found in FirstCare’s recently published Q2 Index Report – shows that 32,397,966 days were lost to COVID-19 related absences during Q2. FirstCare’s analysis shows that these days of unplanned leave cost UK businesses £4,262, 890, 284.
Local councils worked throughout lockdown, forming a core part of the COVID-19 response. Local councils bucked the national absence trend, seeing a 3% decrease in workplace absence year-on-year. Since 2019, there have been 60% fewer absence spells among local council employees and 67% less short-term absence (1-5 days).
The Index Report also reveals that retail has seen the greatest increase in absence, with a 363% increase from the previous quarter. The NHS has also seen a dramatic increase in absence, with a 108% increase in absence rates.
There is some encouraging news for UK businesses however, with the amount of days lost per employee from January to March vs April to June down by 18%.
Ian Caminsky, CEO of FirstCare, said:
“For more than fifteen years, FirstCare has provided organisations with real-time data and nurse-led wellbeing support, harnessing the insights that come from managing staff absence to reduce risks and costs, while saving lives.
This year, those insights have become more important than ever. We are proud to be supporting NHS Trusts to FTSE 100 companies, helping each one to mitigate the unique challenges of COVID-19.”
To learn more, visit: https://blog.firstcare.uk/firstcare-index-report-q2-2020-the-covid-19-quarter