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A new report published last week (8 February) by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) puts forward recommendations to help employers adapt their health and wellbeing plans and policies so they can better support employees suffering from long Covid.
Designed to give employers a greater insight into how this new, long-term, fluctuating health condition affects sufferers, their work and the wider organisation, Working with long Covid: Research evidence to inform support offers practical guidance to ensure all staff are in the best position to help sufferers manage their symptoms and remain in work.
In particular, the report highlights the influence of line managers who have an important supervisory role and oversee many of the organisational operations that can be disrupted when staff are off work with a long-term illness.
‘There are many compelling reasons why we need to consider the impact of long Covid in the workplace,’ the report notes.
‘As a new condition, people with long Covid often face a period of great uncertainty as they await diagnosis and an effective management plan. For those who are in employment, there is the double burden of uncertainty regarding how best to navigate their work. This has implications for sickness absence and return to work.’
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that 1.3 million people living in private households in the UK were experiencing self-reported long Covid (symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after the first suspected Covid-19 infection that were not explained by something else) as of 6 December 2021.
However, the CIPD warns that because the number of people who experience long COVID is predicted to increase in the future, providing effective support now for these individuals to return to, and remain at, work is critical.
This is particularly important as sufferers can face formal absence management processes or disciplinaries if they have taken too many sick days due to their condition.
Line managers are key influencers in these discussions as they ultimately make the decisions that will determine what action is taken. Also, they can shape organisational culture and influence whether a staff member with long Covid feels supported and whether they want to remain in that workplace.
The report puts forward a number of recommendations to improve the support line managers should provide, with a strong emphasis on training. The findings note that not only will training provide line managers with a greater knowledge and understanding of the condition and how it might affect different sufferers but it will also enable them to provide employees with access to effective and individual work adjustments.
The report cites a study by the Patient-Led Research Collaborative, a self-organised group of long Covid patients who are working on patient-led research around their experience. This study found that 45% of the 3,765 respondents said working from home had enabled them to continue to work, specifically through reducing the additional burden of commuting and providing flexibility for working hours.
‘Long Covid remains a growing issue that employers need to be aware of, and they should take appropriate steps to support employees with the condition'
The research also highlighted a number of other work adjustments that were helpful in supporting employees with the condition return to work. These included being creative and flexible when exploring work tasks or job roles that an individual could perform; making work tasks physically, mentally or cognitively less demanding; and working within a supportive organisational culture.
As part of line manager training, the report also recommends that employers should place a specific emphasis on the manager’s role and responsibilities. This could be part of a wider programme about working with disabilities and long-term health conditions, the report suggests, and could include upskilling in the key line manager behaviours that the CIPD has identified to promote wellbeing at work.
Importantly, in light of the sensitive conversations that can be had with affected employees, the report recommends that ‘line managers are provided with discretion to operationalise the absence management policy in a compassionate way.’
‘Long Covid remains a growing issue that employers need to be aware of, and they should take appropriate steps to support employees with the condition,’ said Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser for employment relations at the CIPD.
‘There’s a risk that those who experience ongoing long Covid symptoms may not get the support they need in the workplace and could even fall out of work.’
She added that employers should ensure they have a supportive and inclusive culture that helps employees feel confident to discuss a health condition and ask for support or helpful changes when needed, such as a phased return or flexible working arrangements.
‘Line managers should be given training and guidance on how to support members of their team with the condition, including how to facilitate a successful return to work following illness,’ she says.
‘Managers should bear in mind that employees might be reluctant to discuss ongoing health symptoms, so should check-in with their team regularly and ensure there are opportunities for them to flag any issues.’
Affinity for Health at Work and the University of Sheffield, which undertook the research on behalf of the CIPD, drew on three research sources to inform the report’s conclusions.
The first is a literature review to collate existing research on long Covid and its impact on the wider workplace. The second draws on the insights of 14 individuals who had returned to work with the condition, the pressures and barriers they faced and the support provided. The third draws on the results of three roundtable discussions with 43 professionals working in HR and other health professional roles, who provide support and rehabilitation to affected individuals.
The report promotes the IGLOO framework, a whole-system approach to supporting affected individuals, which places an onus on a shared responsibility between the Individual employee, the Group, Line manager and the Organisation, and also outside resources.
‘We all have a role to play in supporting someone to return to and stay in work,’ says Dr Jo Yarker, director at Affinity Health at Work.
‘Too many people return too quickly and try to do it all on their own. As with many other long-term conditions, practical support and compassion from colleagues, line managers and practitioners involved will give employees with long Covid the best chance of returning to and staying in work.’
Research published in The Lancet and cited in the report identifies fatigue, breathing issues and cognitive dysfunction as the three most common debilitating symptoms of the condition. Although symptoms vary between different individuals, the research warns employers that relapse is common among suffers.
The Lancet researchers found that 85% of people with the condition reported that their symptoms had worsened after a period of improvement. Relapse, they added, can be triggered as a result of many different factors, such as physical activity, stress and alcohol but in some cases there is no identifiable cause.
Data from the ONS suggests that some groups are more likely to experience ongoing long Covid symptoms. People aged 35-69 are particularly at risk, although the report also points out that there is a rising number of cases in the 17-24 age group.
The ONS data also identifies women; people living in more deprived areas; people working in health or social care; and people with another activity-limiting health condition or disability as other major at-risk groups.
The report’s key findings will be translated into CIPD practical guidance and advice for HR and line managers.
How does long Covid affect people, who are at risk, and how can OSH professionals help sufferers return to work? Dr Karen Michell answers these questions and more.
