Should the UK worry about a growing 'presenteeism' culture within the workforce?

CURRENTLY we are hearing reports that there's a bad cough going around that makes you feel wretched and exhausted? With Covid19, the flu, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) made headlines, and the three viruses are already known to be circulating. Of course, many various viruses cause these symptoms, including the common cold, but people are still going out when ill. That has got us asking, why, as a nation we see sickness as a negative thing that should be ignored, if not you are lazy and worthless...

Working during contagious illness can obviously threaten the health of co-workers and members, no matter how bad you may be feeling, is becoming more and more common yet again in the UK. This element of the stiff upper lip within British culture is evidence, and despite sickness absence rate within the UK being at the highest level since:- 2010 in 2023, it is again increasing. This could be due to the employer not have access to paid sick days, or high work intensity, job insecurity and lack of support from supervisors and colleagues. All these factors and the massive changes by the UK Government to benefit payments is starting to again encourage the act or culture, known as:- 'presenteeism' in the UK.

We don't need research to see the evidence that working while sick might be becoming more common again in the UK. Just go out of your house and to the shops or your workplace! How many times do you hear:- "Its just a cold." Despite what was highlighted with Covid19, that ill staff often leads to worse sickness levels within a workplace, and can also result in many other many consequences, far worse reduced productivity levels! Worryingly we are again pushing a culture of employees continuing to work when ill with "just a cold" and this risks poor performance level issues within workplaces and can even result in higher sickness absence levels in the future. So why are we pushing to keep people working when ill?

Even more worryingly, what makes you sick might make someone seriously ill and we a growing labour market having more and more and the push to get people of "sick pay" could not only be an even more economic disaster, but also a major health and safety issues, not forgetting a medical health time bomb.

Last year, it was revelled that in the UK people with ill health are now making up the majority of the increase in labour market inactivity since 2020.  We have a growing population who are older and less younger people to fill the gaps left by those retiring. This labour market inactivity and Brexit loosing many others from the Job Market, has lead to a huge lost in productivity. Throw in the after effects of Covid19 Lockdowns and Long Covid issues, the economic pressures have lead to the UK Government now pushing people with ill health to get jobs:- "if they are able to work" as they say...

With people being pushed into jobs who could be clinically venerable to a "cold," and the risk of health related productivity losses even for healthy people, should we ditch the stigmatism that is behind presenteeism? Yes, unnecessary sickness absence costs us as a society, but as Covid19 reminded us, working while sick leads to even worse workplace and economic pressures. So what are your thoughts? Let us know your thoughts on this topic... Email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com or send us a message on:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.

Supportive Sources:-

Health Foundation analysis of the Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics, 2023.
Occupational Medicine, Volume 73, Issue 4, May 2023, Pages 181–182,  Published: 18 May 2023.
Working Age health reserch.

PCC launches Region wide delivery plan to combat Modern Slavery and exploitation

MERSEYSIDE'S Police Commissioner will unite with partners to commit to a new Region wide strategy to drive forward the work to tackle Modern Slavery and exploitation in Merseyside.

The launch event will bring together almost 100 key partners and agencies including:- frontline organisations, charity groups and local leaders, to discuss the actions set out in the delivery plan and ensure the Region is united in its goal of combatting Modern Slavery.

Organisations will also hear from a 21 year old, from Wallasey, who will speak about his personal experiences of being groomed and exploited by a County Lines gang to sell drugs, starting from when he was just 13 years old. He will talk about how the recognition of how he was a victim of Modern Slavery has enabled him to turn his life around.

Also speaking at the event will be Jimmy Belmar, who works on Project Medusa from Merseyside Police as well as partners from Medaille Trust and Causeway Charity.

Project Medusa, funded by the Home Office, is a Merseyside led initiative set up to tackle County Lines drug dealing and the criminal exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults.

Launching at the International Slavery Museum, the new Delivery Plan is the result of a major consultation which got underway at an event in October 2023, during which the PCC brought more than 60 specialists together to draw on their expert advice into tackling this hidden crime and continuing to improve the response from the Police and other agencies.

Focussing on redoubling the efforts to tackle the issue and improve the support provided to victims of exploitation, the new strategy will shape how all organisations across Merseyside work to tackle slavery and trafficking through a series of straightforward, achievable actions.

Each of these 16 actions will be driven forward by the Modern Slavery Network who will be responsible for ensuring progress and achieving key milestones, overseen and reviewed by the Police Commissioner's Merseyside Strategic Policing and Partnerships Board (MSPPB).

Tackling Modern Slavery is a priority for the Police Commissioner and a key theme in her delivery plan focusing on putting a stop to Violence against Women and Girls.

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:- "As Police Commissioner, my priority is to Support Victims and Build Safer Communities for everyone. Modern Slavery devastates lives and communities, and we must work together to end exploitation and protect innocent victims from a lifetime of fear and intimidation. This abhorrent crime cannot be tackled by any 1 agency or organisation; we must respond collectively with meaningful action if we are to make positive change across Merseyside. That's why it was great to have so much collective input from our partners during the consultation and it's clear there a genuine commitment from all the agencies in the Network to stopping those who seek to exploit and manipulate the vulnerable for their own gain. I would like to thank all those who provided their feedback and expertise, which has helped develop this important document. By working together, we can be a force for change, making our Region safer for all men, women and children."

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner said Cllr Jeanie Bell said:- "We know that, by working in partnership, we can improve the way services are run, making a real difference to victims and empowering them to forge new lives free from control and coercion, while also ensuring those who seek to exploit innocent victims face justice. It is vital that we keep at the forefront of our minds, the real-life experiences of those who have been enslaved. To hear the story of a victim survivor is incredibly impactful, so I'm grateful to him for giving up his time to attend this launch. It's a stark reminder of why this work is so important in providing the best possible support for those affected by exploitation and removing the scrouge of Modern Slavery in our communities. This delivery plan is designed to recognise where there are gaps or weaknesses that we must act on and ensuring, as a partnership, we are working together to tackle this issue as effectively as possible and provide the best possible support to those affected by this abhorrent crime."

Help stamp out Modern Slavery and learn how to spot the signs of exploitation here:- UnseenUK.Org. Any suspicions the public have on someone being exploited should be reported to the Modern Slavery Helpline on:- 08000121700.