Small firms to benefit from new advice line

Date: 2nd July 2010

Small businesses in the UK that regularly lose money through staff sickness could be among those to benefit from a new NHS initiative.

The health service recently launched a new Health for Work Adviceline, which is aimed at supporting small business owners and giving the advice on how to help staff members who are affected by ill health.

According to the NHS, millions of work days are lost each year due to problems like back pain and mental health issues like work-related stress, anxiety and depression are on the rise.

David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, commented: "The impact of employee ill health on smaller companies is an important issue. While most firms offer some level of support, it is essential that more are able to provide effective help to staff, not least through ready access to good occupational health advice.

"The free Health for Work Adviceline will help businesses to address issues of employee health, and it should lead to reduced absenteeism."

Recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive have revealed that 29.3 million days were lost overall in 2008-09, 24.6 million due to work-related ill health and 4.7 million due to workplace injury.