Work Related Stress Absences Rise as Overall Sick Days Fall
According to the Office for National Statistics the number of working days lost due to overall sickness absence has fallen by 47 million over the past 20 years but the number of working days lost due to work related stress has risen.
The statistics have shown that around 15 million working days were lost in 2013 because of stress anxiety or depression. This has risen from 2010 where only 11.8 million working days were lost.
Dr John Philpott director of The Jobs Economist said:”Although the overall rate of sickness absence from work is on a broadly downward trend more working days are being lost to the common mental health problems of stress depression and anxiety which accounted for 15.2 million lost working days in 2013 up from 11.8 million days lost in 2010.”
“Given the possibility that people may cite other reasons for absence due to mental health issues because of the social stigma attached to such conditions the underlying problem is likely to be even worse.”
“Moreover sickness absence statistics don’t detect people suffering from common mental health problems who soldier on at work for fear that highlighting a condition might put their job at risk.”
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Oakwood Solicitors are specialists in claims for work related stress.
If you believe that you would benefit from legal advice or believe you may have a claim please call us on 0844 499 9302 or email stress@oakwoodsolicitors.co.uk
