The UK is losing billions to sick days but a new service hopes to help cut down on the need to take time off.
Taking a few days off sick might not seem like a big deal, but employees missing work is costing the UK billions of pounds. In fact, according to the Office for National Statistics, £100 billion is lost every 12 months due to the workforce missing an average of 4.4 days a year due to illness.
Now, a new app aims to help reduce the number of hours missed due to health issues.
Looking After Me says it leverages a national network of fully trained former NHS nurses to offer employees in the UK a range of proactive health services. This includes a monthly health check-in, that is completely confidential and unlike anything currently offered in the wellness industry.
Unlike many other health services, which focus on reactive treatment, Looking After Me looks at preventative wellbeing. This is aimed at reducing absenteeism and improving staff retention, as well as protecting leadership capacity.
Employees can also then benefit from further counselling, GP access, and specialist support, when needed.
The company was set up by Ruth Tuthill, who has worked for 20 years in wellness and education, and experienced HR strategist Claire Cooper.
“We are incredibly excited to launch Looking After Me today and help companies protect the health of their employees as well as save billions of pounds in lost productivity,” Tuthill explained.
“This isn’t just about reducing absenteeism and improving staff retention; Looking After Me also helps with recruitment by offering a workplace benefit that in turn delivers a measurable return on investment.
“You would be hard pressed to find a business leader that doesn’t describe their workforce as their greatest asset, which is why it’s so important to prioritise prevention over cure.”
How it works
Looking After Me gives employees 15 minutes of 1:1 counselling each month with the same health coach using a dedicated, secure app.
All sessions are completely confidential, but employers receive anonymised data that indicates wellness trends or concerns across their business.
As well as the monthly service, Looking After Me offers a number of bespoke options including a daily and weekly app-based wellbeing check and onsite group sessions.
Reactive care includes access to registered counsellors and a GP within 24 hours, mental health first aid training and crisis support.