● Stress and mental health
● Cold and flu
● Stomach upsets
● Headaches
● Back pain

HR software that tracks absence is one of those great solutions for companies - allowing you to keep track of who is off due to illness and spot any trends. You should also look into implementing a clear absence policy for both employees and managers to follow, in the event of a day off.

This ensures employees can look and read through this in their own time, to better understand what is expected of them and to assist managers when dealing with sickness. Ensure this is accessible to everyone, by printing it out and also emailing the document to each new employee.

Being able to monitor and report is a vital part of the HR department's workload and if you are able to spot absence trends with certain employees you can put a system in place to figure out what is going on. Being aware of what the issues are and bringing it to the attention of those employees that it involves can help monitor or stop absences.

Another good thing about this is you help those people who may need further support with ongoing health problems or stop those taking advantage of the sick pay scheme you offer. Keep a record of absence patterns so you have full evidence if needed - your online HR software can help with this.

You should also ensure that your management team is approachable, so that your employees feel comfortable and can talk to you about their problems or any health issues that may occur. In some cases, you can take steps to assist an employee who needs time off or have the correct equipment in the office to make their working days that little bit easier. Taking the time and putting in the effort to be empathetic to a situation that is out of an employee's control will make them feel at ease and also reduce sick days.

Wellness programmes are also a great tool to implement in your business. They can help employees with things such as quitting smoking or getting fit. Doing activities such as these will encourage employees to engage and interact with each other - creating a happy and healthy environment overall. In theory, this will help towards reducing absence and have a good impact on everyone’s overall fitness, stress levels and happiness. Here are just a handful of wellness programs and activities you could implement:

● Walk/running lunchtime club.
● Team sport events.
● Bike riding to or from work.
● Mind/body classes - such as yoga at lunch.
● Exercise room.

Making sure your office environment is fit for all workers is essential for happy and healthy employees. The temperature needs to be at a level that people can work in and you should consider standing desks, ergonomic chairs and plants for effective wellbeing. It’s a good idea to also think about lighting - as natural light will improve productivity and help towards reducing the likelihood of people feeling fatigued or stressed.

As an employer you can help manage sickness by preventing or reducing the impact of what causes these problems and concerns and in turn enjoy a happier, healthier working environment.