Ill health affecting IT performance
Nearly half of IT managers have difficulty concentrating due to illness, report claims
Poor health causes over half of UK IT managers to be unproductive for 20 per cent of their working time, according to a report by the Chartered Management Institute and Workplace Health Connect.
The Quality of Working Life report questioned 1,541 UK IT managers and discovered that 46 per cent of IT managers have difficulty concentrating due to ill-health and 60 per cent also claimed that illness rates in their organisation had increased over the past 12 months.
Mary Chapman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, said: " The health of UK workplaces needs greater attention. With such high levels of illness being experienced, organisations and individuals must act to maintain their competitive edge. Failure to do so will lead to disruption because health clearly has an impact on performance, productivity and ultimately, the bottom line."
The report also revealed that 49 per cent of IT managers agreed that the senior management team in their business considered health and safety to be important, and 38 per cent saw it as becoming increasingly important. Despite this, only one in three reported symptoms to their line manager.
Elizabeth Gyngell, programme director at Workplace Health Connect, added: " Everyone needs to play a role in improving the quality of health in their workplace. By working together, the right systems and procedures can be put in place that should benefit the entire workforce and the business itself."
However, where employers had implemented health initiatives and benefits the report discovered an increase in the physical and psychological health of employees.