Our regular writer Steve Herbert considers the latest data on long Covid and what employers can do to support members of their team experiencing the effects
In my December blog post for Employer News I highlighted just how far the UK had come in fighting Covid-19, and suggested that the nation was perhaps now much better placed to combat the new variant Omicron than we were when facing earlier variants such as Alpha and Delta.
Of course in the five weeks since that article the news agenda has been almost completely dominated by the new challenges posed by Omicron, and happily as time passes it seems increasingly likely that this latest variant poses a far lower hospitalisation and mortality risk than the versions we have faced previously.
Absence risks
Of course this news is rather tempered by the stark reality that Omicron is far more transmissible than those previously encountered forms of Covid-19.
In practice this means that huge numbers of people are now testing positive, with new infection numbers now regularly topping 100,000 every single day, even during the quieter weeks of Christmas school holiday and business close-downs. It follows that many sectors and businesses are going to face real staffing challenges as the economy and the education sector reopen, not least because such activity will present new and increased transmission opportunities too.
Yet the absence issue is probably short term in nature, and is one that most employers will hopefully be able to navigate until the worst of the current wave has receded.
Nothing to see here?
So it looks like employers might be able to re-join the road to post-pandemic economic normality rather sooner than many expected just a month ago.
This is very welcome news, yet Human Resources professionals also need to accept that the sheer scale of recent Omicron infections may add to the already long tail of Long Covid absences that the nation and its employers could be facing for months or even years to come.
And Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of NHS Confederations, said only this week;
“as far as I can tell, we have absolutely no idea whether Omicron is more or less likely than earlier variants to add to the huge numbers of people dealing with Long Covid.”
Long Covid numbers
Taylor has correctly identified a genuine concern for individuals, the NHS, and of course employers too. For the numbers suffering from Long Covid infections were already significant even before Omicron arrived in the United Kingdom.
Indeed figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today show that around 2% of the UK population are experiencing self-reported Long Covid. In terms of case numbers that breaks down as follows:
- 1.3 million people experiencing Long Covid symptoms for 4 weeks or more
- 892,000 people experiencing Long Covid symptoms for 12 weeks or more
- 506,000 people experiencing Long Covid symptoms for more than a year
All three of these measures have been climbing month-on-month for some time now, and the last statistic is probably the most concerning having jumped by more than 15% from the figures published in December 2021.
Those people unfortunate enough to suffer with the illness for more than a year are likely to have contracted the virus in the very first UK wave of COVID-19, since when the UK has faced Alpha, Delta and now Omicron variants too. This suggests that many more may soon join the legion of year-long Covid sufferers.
And this is a potential problem for employers also, as so many of those suffering will be of working age.
Risk factors
Indeed it is now becoming clear that the risk factors of Long Covid are significantly different to those of the more severe form of the infection.
It appears that virtually anyone might experience Long Covid conditions, and there are now plenty of examples of previously very fit and healthy young adults being struck down for a year or longer. And even children – a still largely unvaccinated population in the UK – can suffer too.
Yet as time has passed it has become clearer that some groupings are statistically more likely to experience Long Covid conditions than others. The risk factors include (but are certainly not limited to):
- Females
- People living in more deprived areas
- Those with another serious health condition
- People working in health or social care
- Those aged between 35 and 69
With the ZOE Covid study also suggesting that those with a high BMI and/or those experiencing 5 or more symptoms on initial infection also more likely to suffer from Long Covid infections.
The employer problem
Of the factors identified above, the age profile is perhaps the most important one for employers. It suggests that Long Covid is most likely to be experienced in the working-age population of the UK.
It follows that medium and long-term Long Covid absences are likely to become far more commonplace for employers in the months immediately ahead. And, as we have no idea of how long such infections might last, this could yet prove be a long-term absence problem for some years to come.
How should employers respond?
Now long-term absence is something that all organisations are always keen to avoid, and that is perhaps even more the case after nearly two years of on-off pandemic restrictions and economic gloom.
The reality is that most employers are desperate to return to some normality – and full productivity – and to achieve this all employees must be healthy and able to undertake their daily work. It follows that it is in the interests of employers to now focus on how they can best support workers suffering with Long Covid.
Acceptance and understanding
A good starting point for employers is to accept that Long Covid is often difficult to define.
According to the ONS some of the most commonly recorded symptoms of Long Covid include fatigue (51%), shortness of breath (36%), and difficulty concentrating (28%). Yet that is only the tip of the iceberg, with more than 200 different symptoms recorded to date, and also evidence of some fluctuation between symptoms over time. Such wide variations inevitably result in some sufferers being doubted by employers, and occasionally even by medical professionals too.
Such doubt can be corrosive to the employee’s confidence and ability to recover, and can also damage the employer/employee relationship too.
Signposting
So trust is important, but so too is some practical employer support for the employee. As a minimum all employers should do what they can to signpost employees towards support tools that are already freely available.
In particular the following websites might be of use:
However, it should be noted that NHS diagnosis and treatments for Long Covid are still at an early stage (as can be evidenced in this video (from minute 31)). As a result there are sadly too many patients resorting to their own research and medication to try and speed recovery. The potential risks of this approach are self-evident.
Employee benefits support
Which suggests that employers should also be aiming to deploy all the tools available within their exiting employee benefits offering to support workers with informed, qualified, and practical support.
At the most basic level this may mean referring employees to Employee Assistance Programmes and/or remote GP appointments, so that the employee can seek further advice, reassurance, and direction to appropriate treatments.
More robust employee benefits packages will also include access to private healthcare to help the employee swiftly receive treatments whilst simultaneously bypassing those rapidly growing NHS waiting lists.
Sick pay support
And employers should also seek to reassure ill employees with other key elements of their existing employee benefits offering. Many employees will have company sick pay policies and/or Group Income Protection policies in place to ensure a continuation of salary for a period of time. Reminding employees of these features will be reassuring at a time of great uncertainty.
And Group Income Protection policies often include free-to-use Early Intervention Services, which are specifically designed to support employees towards an early return to work where practical. This feature alone may prove particularly useful to all parties, so employers should look to utilise this option when available.
Time to take action?
The reality is that no one yet knows just how much worse the Long Covid figures may become, or indeed how long symptoms may last for those unlucky enough to experience Long Covid for a year or longer.
Yet the figures before Omicron arrived were already significant, and it would seem unlikely that the situation will improve anytime soon given the new variant. So prudent employers should be looking to take steps and establish support systems now, on the assumption that they may well be needed in the near future.
Steve Herbert is Head of Benefits Strategy at Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing