Continuing failure to break down the barriers to effective rehabilitation of employees is costing Britain's manufacturers up to £610m a year according to a major report on sickness absence published today by EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, in partnership with Unum, the UK's leading disability insurer.

The EEF's Sickness Absence Report 2008 shows that those organisations stating that they do not encounter any barriers to rehabilitating employees, on average, have sickness absence rates that are 0.7 per cent lower than those with barriers.

On an annual basis, this means an extra 1.5 days attendance per worker or approximately 4.5 million days of work lost across the manufacturing industry.

The major barriers to rehabilitation that most affected sickness absence rates were identified in the report as the misconceptions about the effect of the employee's health condition, employee resistance to rehabilitation, the role of General Practitioners in promoting rehabilitation and concern about employees being protected under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Commenting on the findings, EEF Chief Medical Adviser, Professor Sayeed Khan, said: "Promoting rehabilitation in the workplace is the single biggest factor that government, employers, employees and healthcare professionals can address in tackling our sickness absence record.

"Dame Carol Black's review of the health and well-being of the working population is a critical part of this process and we need all stakeholders to support this if we are to make the necessary step change in behaviour."

5:00pm Monday 12th May 2008

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