Remote working | How to proactively manage employee absence in the new normal

By Colin Hawes, Head of Claims, Generali UK Employee Benefits

It’s now clear that working from home will continue for some time for many people.

While many have ‘made do’ during the initial stages of lockdown, it’s not going to be enough to leave niggles, aches, pains and anxieties to go unchecked. Now risks need to be identified and appropriate measures put in place. Not only for those employees working remotely, but also of course for those returning to the workplace. For employers there also remains a question mark over whether they’d be liable if returning staff were to fall ill with Covid-19. In short, the way in which providers and brokers partner with clients during this crisis – to proactively help with all of this now – will undoubtedly set the tone for the future.

As we enter the ‘new normal’, some experts are predicting a “tsunami” of mental health issues that have been stored up during lockdown. Others report a significant increase in musculoskeletal complaints. The Institute for Employment Studies’ (IES) Working at Home Wellbeing Survey, carried out during the early stages of lockdown, found that more than half the survey respondents reported new aches and pains, especially in the neck (58%), shoulder (56%) and back (55%), compared to their normal physical condition.