The Quality of Working Life: Managing Wellbeing at Work

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The Quality of Working Life Managing Wellbeing
at Work

• Patrick Woodman
• Chartered Management Institute
• The East Midlands Attendance Management Summit
• 6 November 2008 BioCity, Nottingham

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Who we are

• The Chartered Management Institute is the only
  chartered professional body that is dedicated to
  management and leadership.
• 80,000 individual members
• 450 corporate members and clients
• Membership, networks and events, management
  resources, management development,
  qualifications, Chartered Manager, research and
  policy.

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The Quality of Working Life
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Managers absence

• Managers reported on average 3.46 days absence
  from work due to ill health up from 3.19 days
  in 2005
• Directors report lowest absence, 2.94
  daysjunior managers highest, 4.26 days
• Public sector highest
• 42 overall reported sickness rates in their
  organisation increased over last year
• Context of long working hours

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Managing absence?

• High levels of unreported absence
• One third report a culture of not taking time off
  for sickness
• 53 per cent report managers treat employees
  sympathetically over sick leave
• Higher average absence duration where employees
  were not treated sympathetically (8.75 days)

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Absence management policies
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Benefits and absence
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Demand for benefits
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UK v Australia
19 v 14
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Absence management policies
76 v 41

• Managers in the UK were more likely to report
  that their organisation had a range of policies
  in place.

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UK v Australia organisational policies

• Healthcare insurance 41 v 17
• Stress management advice 42 v 29
• Progressive return to work after absence 57 v
  47
• But
• Work/life balance 30 v 35
• Option to get extra holiday time/leave 57 v 74
• Overall productivity

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Impact? Comparative absence levels
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Cultural differences
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Bullying in the workplace
www.managers.org.uk/bullying2008 New report
available from 7 November
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Conclusions

• Challenge to management
• Importance of training key role in supporting
  policies
• Sophistication of reporting
• Era of cost reduction need for awareness of the
  positive impact of investing in workplace health

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Contact details

• Download copies of the executive summary at
  www.managers.org.uk/workinglife
• Order the 70-page full Quality of Working Life
  report on 020 7421 2721 or email
  research_at_managers.org.ukCost 50 for attendees
  today (normally 75) quote EMAM-01
• Questions? Email patrick.woodman_at_managers.org.uk