“We don’t have an absence problem.” We hear this a lot — but the facts say otherwise. Absence is at a 15-year high, employment costs are rising, and most organisations are still relying on outdated processes and flawed data. The truth is, absence is like an iceberg. Leaders see only the small part above the water, sickness absence, while the much larger hidden costs stay out of sight. Inconsistent data collection across HR systems, time and attendance tools, or spreadsheets means the picture you’re seeing is incomplete and inaccurate. Empactis lowers the water level. Our platform reveals the full scale of your absence challenges, giving leaders the facts they need to take action. With clear insights, smarter processes, and proven results, Empactis shows that change doesn’t have to be difficult and it delivers fast.

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Since June 2022, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has used Empactis to help deliver an innovative programme to tackle the very costly issue of Musculoskeletal (MSK) staff absence – a challenge that every NHS Trust shares.

Musculoskeletal health issues were previously costing MFT a whopping £7 million plus per year in direct sickness absence costs alone.

That is without taking associated costs such as management time and impacts on workforce productivity into account.

Empactis has been working with MFT for some years to help it manage staff absences, employee relations cases and employee health management. When MFT’s Employee Health and Wellbeing team decided to apply for national NHS funding for advancing Occupational Health in line with the Growing Occupational Health & Wellbeing Strategy, supporting the NHS Workforce Plan, they knew that the Empactis platform was already in place and would play a critical enabling role.

A new holistic system to support staff MSK absence and health

MFT’s trailblazing system gained an initial £500k in national funding, which it used to create an innovative standardised and holistic Absence Support Service.

It was created and managed in close collaboration between Employee Health and Wellbeing and Physio teams. The aim was to ensure all 28,000 staff could all gain access to the service, and obtain MSK health support when needed.

The results have been demonstrable and highly significant. Having secured more than £1 million in savings in the first six months alone, here are now confident predictions of around £2.16m in direct MSK absence cost savings each and every year, going forward.

Small wonder that the MFT Board were swift to commit to keep and potentially build on this groundbreaking programme.

Marisa Pickerill, Assistant Director of Employee Health and Wellbeing led this initiative for MFT, working with Fiona Larsen, Occupational Health Physiotherapy Lead, who coordinated physiotherapist engagement and drove education around MSK health.

They have shared not only their experiences but copious direct data around MSK absence cost savings, speed of returns to work, staff feedback and much more in our latest case study. It is a must-read for every NHS Trust.

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It is rolling out the Empactis employee health management system in careful phases. The first phase of Absence Manager is now complete and the next phase is being evaluated. 

In our latest NHS absence management case study we hear from David Allen, Assistant Director, People Support and others in the project team.   

Among other factors, David cited data entry processes as one issue. He said “The data entry process was so long-winded that managers just didn’t have time. It was never easy to see who was off sick, how many, or when to stage them.” 

The initial motivation was simple. “In real time, we don’t know how many people on any given day are on sickness absence. Nor how many are on stage 1 or stage 2 of the absence process” said Christine.  

Supporting managers with absence administration

Imperatives such as ease of manager engagement have been priorities. This includes tools and guidance to encourage line managers to take the right actions at the right time – such as in managing the Returns to Work process.  

There have been many learnings and discoveries along the way. For example, the fact that 10% of NCIC people weren’t in the right place on the ESR hierarchy. Empactis works seamlessly with ESR to orchestrate its powerful manager alerts and approvals capabilities, so this was an important enabler. 

The pilot is currently expanding. The NCIC team can see that the full Empactis system will help to bridge some critical gaps, such as that between absence management and occupational health. It has the potential to transform OH referrals.  Not to mention escaping some of the prevailing data silos. Empactis enables NCIC to connect employee data fully for the first time.  

NCIC’s project team and the Empactis team are working closely to roll out and shape Absence Manager’s capabilities to the Trust’s NHS absence management needs. 

Kayleigh Hayden, project manager for the Empactis implementation, said: “Having all three modules with case manager, health manager and absence manager is going to be a game changer for our organisation. Health and wellbeing is at the forefront after COVID, and the current climate is particularly challenging.” 

NHS Trusts who want to read the full story of how NCIC is changing how it manages absence and connecting it closely to other aspects of employee health simply need to let us know. 

Download the case study here or for more information email [email protected]

The post Taking NHS Absence Management and Employee Health Management to the Next Level at North Cumbria Integrated Care – how an NHS Trust is connecting absence, attendance and health case management with Empactis appeared first on Empactis.

In 2022, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust asked Empactis to help ensure that the third year was more efficient. 

NCIC is already rolling out our employee health management system to help support its 6500 staff – but first, it had to manage the Winter 2022/23 staff vaccination challenge.  Our latest case study tells the story of how they managed, with the aid of Empactis.

The programme start date was fast approaching. From the start of the contract to a fixed ‘go live’ date, NCIC and Empactis had to move very fast to design and implement a booking solution. 

The dual delivery of two vaccines had already added to the workload. It needed extra qualification and consents, new reporting requirements and increased vaccine inventory complexities.   

Mitigating a growing workload for NHS staff vaccination 

“COVID had more than doubled our workload. The first two rollouts were very paper heavy and administrative – there was no booking system. In Year 3, we knew the team would be smaller as the workload was coming back to our Occupational Health department. We simply had to do things in a different, more efficient manner.” So says David Allen, Assistant Director, People Support at NCIC.  

Empactis developed a flexible solution that enabled staff not just to self-book into clinics. They could also file consents and communicate with OH about the vaccinations.  Amongst other benefits, NCIC has been able to: 

• secure significant savings in vaccination staffing 
• noticeably ease clinic administration 
• markedly reduce paper volumes
• minimise vaccine wastage  

NCIC led the North East region in speed of NHS staff vaccination uptake. That was even the case among some clinical cohorts who are traditionally slow to book in for their jabs! 

Empactis is proud to be supporting NCIC on its journey to improve staff health and wellbeing with a new system to support employee absences, occupational health, and HR case management.  

Are you an NHS Trusts who would like to read the full story of how NCIC has transformed its NHS staff vaccination programme management?

Download the case study here or email [email protected] for more information

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Smart companies make sure they not only have employee health and wellbeing high on the agenda but are seen to do so.

Engaging employees around key health awareness events  is a great way to do it. 

Major campaigns often provide useful employer guides and toolkits to not only help you get involved, but learn how to handle different health situations and conversations. Our calendar notes where many of these are available and provides the links you need – subscribe to our Employee Health 2023 calendar here.

Our calendar provides you with all the employee health 2023 dates for important health days and health awareness initiatives. If you hit the ‘Subscribe’ button, those dates can drop directly into your schedule.

• 4^th March – World Obesity Day 2023
• 8^th March – No Smoking Day 2023
• 17^th March – World Sleep Day 2023
• 22^nd March – World Water Day 2023
• APRIL – Stress Awareness Month 2023
• 24^th-30^th April – Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week 2023
• 25^th April-1^st May – Allergy Awareness Week 2023
• 28^th April – World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023
• 2^nd-8^th May – Deaf Awareness Week 2023
• 2^nd May – World Asthma Day 2023
• 8^th-14^th May – Women’s Health Week 2023
• 15^th-21^st May – Mental Health Awareness Week 2023
• 12^th-18^th Jun – Men’s Health Week 2023
• 21^st-27^th June Love Your Lungs Week 2023
• 26^th-30^th June World Wellbeing Week 2023
• 24^th July – Talk to Us (Samaritans Awareness Day) 2023
• 4^th-10^th September – Know Your Numbers Week 2023
• 4^th-13^th September – Migraine Awareness Week 2023
• 12^th-17^th September – Rheumatoid Arthritis Week 2023
• 17^th September – World Patient Safety Day 2023
• 18^th-24^th September – Eye Health Week 2023
• 2^nd-6^th October – National Work-Life Week 2023
• 3^rd-7^th October – Back Care Awareness Week 2023
• 10^th October – World Mental Health Day 2023
• 22^nd-28^th October – European Week for Safety and Health at Work 2023
• 29^th October – World Stroke Day 2023
• 30^th October-3^rd November – International Stress Awareness Week 2023
• 3^rd December – International Day of People with Disabilities 2023

See the full Employee Health 2023 Calendar here and hit ‘Subscribe’ to get all the key dates with employer toolkit links straight into your diary.

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Flu in the workplace is always an issue for employers. It is estimated that flu costs developed economies around £30 billion annually, and is a regular driver of sickness absence each winter. The ONS classifies it as one of the minor illnesses that cause a quarter of all sickness absences.

Despite the mild weather this Autumn, it seems the flu season has started earlier than usual. While this year, as for the past two years, COVID-19 promises to complicate things further.

All employers should strive to be ready for this flu season and the next.  The confluence of two seasonal viruses in COVID and flu is likely to recur for many years.

There are three questions to consider:

• What do employers need to know about the flu season?
• Why is COVID a complicating factor for flu in the workplace?
• What action can they take to prevent the spread of flu at work?

Let’s take a look.

A few flu facts for employers

• Flu (short for influenza) is a respiratory infection mainly affecting the nose, throat and lungs. It can bring symptoms such as a high temperature, aches and pains, sickness and diarrhoea – all symptoms easily confused with those of current COVID variants.
• Flu is highly infectious and spreads incredibly easily in the workplace. Virus within droplets from coughs and sneezes can live for 24 hours on surfaces such as doorknobs, handrails, keyboards, and desks.
• Flu is infectious before symptoms start to show, making it a major concern for workplace transmission. Staff can easily spread illness at work whilst feeling fully well.
• Flu is not just a winter illness. The flu season in the UK can last anywhere from 4-8 months, with outbreaks possible all the way through to May – and it can be caught any time of the year.

COVID complications in an economic crisis

The impacts of circulating flu and COVID in workplaces could be deep and damaging for employers.  Waves of staff sickness absences could impact productivity and operational continuity at a time they can ill-afford the costs of any interruptions, extra risks or temporary staffing. 

COVID has already changed the risk profile of flu. Not only because of the risk of dual infection, but because there is low natural herd immunity thanks to lockdown restrictions preventing flu circulation last winter.

If both COVID and flu run rampant this winter, the impact on employers could be severe.

It is perfectly possible to catch COVID and flu at the same time. Because they are different viruses, catching one provides absolutely no immunity to the other.

Fears of a ‘twindemic’ are perhaps being overblown by media. But the risks of people catching flu and COVID together are real.

A dual infection increases the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation.

Longer than usual sickness absences are inevitable for employees who are unlucky enough to get a co-infection – even for those who do not require hospital treatment.

Another consideration is that, like COVID, flu can cause post viral syndromes – in other words, ‘long flu’. Early studies have suggested symptoms could persist after 12 weeks, and include breathing difficulties, headaches, and fatigue. 

We have previously written about what employers need to know about long COVID and provided useful resources.  They may also need to take on board that flu also may cause far more than assumed impacts like a lingering cough, but require support from Occupational Health, and even potential work adjustments. 

Mental health implications of a COVD and flu spike in workplaces

Productivity concerns and costs of absence from flu in workplaces are a real issue. But they are not the only issue. Should flu and COVID combine in a damaging way, there may also be mental health impacts.

First, high levels of absence always have a knock on effect on the remaining workforce, where people may have to carry on and cover for absent colleagues or cope with an ever-changing array of temporary staff who are less familiar with systems.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, are the concerns of employees.

Experiences in the pandemic have heightened many people’s worries about infection – especially those who live with conditions such as asthma or diabetes. 

Couple this with the generally higher levels of stress and concern being felt during the cost of living crisis, plus growing worries about the NHS’s ability to cope at either GP or hospital level, and the risks are clear.

Anxiety and low morale can compound existing absence issues, as well as impact everyday operations in any business.

Flu vaccines cannot provide full protection to individuals or businesses

We have all become familiar with the idea of vaccination targeting to protect the most vulnerable, thanks to the COVID pandemic. 

The flu vaccination is routinely offered only to those over 50, the pregnant, frontline health workers, and anyone with a serious long-term health condition.

Many working-age adults will fall outside these categories.

Vaccination effectiveness is also far from assured. Flu vaccines must be reviewed every year since flu viral strains evolve constantly. Neither previous infection nor earlier vaccination can provide immunity – and there is never a guarantee about this current year’s effectiveness.

Recommendations for flu vaccine composition are made in advance each year by the World Health Organization to allow time for vaccine production. They are guided by the most likely predicted variation.

In the years 2015 to 2020, flu vaccine effectiveness varied from 15% to 52%. The provisional  end of season Vaccine Effectiveness assessment by the government suggests the 2021 flu vaccine was just 26% effective in adults aged 50 and above.

7 ways employers can prepare for flu and respiratory viruses at work

1. ABOVE ALL, remember and apply key learnings from the COVID pandemic. Infection control should be a high priority. Remind staff about regular, thorough handwashing. Refill or replace hand sanitiser at entrances, in high traffic areas, and in easy reach around the workplace. 
2. Encouraging staff to remain at home if they are unwell – including senior staff and managers. Discouraging presenteeism is vital. It means ensuring everyone is fully aware of the symptoms of flu. Managers must treat flu seriously, watching for the signs of illness and sending staff with symptoms home – fast.
3. Encourage eligible staff to take up the offer of a flu vaccine through the NHS. Any employer could also choose to offer all staff a flu vaccination through an occupational health provider. Absorbing the cost of these could reduce the risk of far larger costs from high levels of staff absence that impact productivity and escalate the need for temporary staffing.
4. Foster a culture of wellness, in which staff aren’t derided for taking time off for sickness. Staff who remain healthy and at work should be supported and feel appreciated, if their workload increases due to colleague absences.
5. Review absence policies and procedures. Despite having lived with a combined threat of flu and COVID for two years, many employers’ attendance policies – including those in the NHS – are based on historical patterns rather than the new normal.
6. Train managers to deal appropriately with employee health and absence management. Give them robust processes and the right tools to manage their teams and ensure they know what support is available.
7. Recognise that fears of a ‘twindemic’ are real and may be causing nervousness among employees about catching flu, COVID, or both. Consider a return to remote working where practical and requested.

Useful resources:

• Reducing the spread of respiratory infections in the workplace – UKHSA
• Seasonal influenza: guidance, data and analysis – UKHSA
• Coronavirus (COVID) – Advice for workplaces – HSE

Effective absence management comes from creating a positive employee health culture, adopting connected tools and platforms that can appropriately manage health and absence management data and activities, and excellent support for line managers.

Empactis Absence Manager software is part of our employee health management platform, the only fully integrated platform designed for this purpose.

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At the time of writing, it happens to be the European Week for Safety and Health at Work. This annual initiative by the European Agency of the same name (EU-OSHA) aims to engage employers across the entire EU. It encourages employers to think about, celebrate, and focus even more on creating safe and healthy workplaces for employees.  

The UK may not be a member of the EU anymore, but its workplace legislation remains significantly aligned with those of Member States. Plus, it is always a good idea to pause for thought on best workplace practices. This year’s key focus is on the prevention of MSDs (Musculoskeletal Disorders). Read our article MSK absences and disorders are straining the backs of British business for a stark reminder on why this is a critical employee health topic.

Creating healthy workplaces is not optional for employers

It is somewhat sad that we still need awareness raising days and weeks like this. Every employee in Britain is legally entitled to a safe and healthy work environment. This has been the case since the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act consolidated these rights more than forty years ago.  

Unfortunately, the very term “Health and Safety” often causes managers to roll their eyes. Despite the digital era in which we work, it still calls up images of stern assessors with long forms and clipboards. Risk assessments are often regarded as a chore for managers and site owners. They are treated as a tick box exercise that must be endured.

This must change. The importance of safe and healthy workplaces was brought home in stark terms during the pandemic, and it is time that this is better recognised and prioritised by every employer organisation. What employing organisations need is to create far more integrated and effective employee health management approaches. These approaches need to integrate ‘health and safety’ within a more connected and complete model for supporting healthy work.

Back to basics of why health and safety matters

Health and safety programmes are much more effective when organisations support managers to manage employee health, safety, and wellbeing as an integral part of their role. Doing so means supporting and informing them better across four key areas:

1/ Health – which is defined as a state of being, free from illness or injury.

No employer in their right mind can argue that this is not of paramount importance. Unless they have workers that are fit and able to work, they cannot operate. Yet most employers are unable to see or state exactly who is present and fit for work, with any accuracy or confidence.

2/ Safety – which is defined as a condition of being protected from or unlikely to face danger, risk, or injury.

Of course, failure here is where employer liabilities kick in. Yet without safety, health is inevitably compromised. It is hard to see how any employer could fail to regard this as an essential concern. Managers need to be able to manage risk assessments as an integral part of their other employee health interactions.

3/ Absence – which is a direct and costly consequence of any failures on health, safety, or employee wellbeing.

Unless organisations maintain safe workplace environments in which employees are protected and cared about, absences are inevitable – particularly unnecessary absences, extended absences that last longer than they should, and long-term sickness absences from which many staff will not return. Many companies have no clarity on how workplace health and safety compliance or accidents relate to their absence picture or patterns.

4/ Occupational Health support – which can make all the difference in the world.

Not only does providing excellent OH support for employees ensure that staff with health conditions or injuries are supported back to work faster, but it can also prevent many unnecessary absences, shorten others, and enable effective work adjustments. These support swift and safe returns and help retain staff who might otherwise become long-term absentees or leave the firm.

Embedding health and safety into the enterprise

Ensuring a culture, organisation and workplace in which employee health is prioritised can only be led from the top. Business leaders need to recognise that health and safety should not be treated in isolation as a compliance requirement. It must become integral to everything they do.

Creating healthy workplaces is becoming more of a priority, and for that we should all be grateful. Business leaders are increasingly benefiting from better understanding of organisational health. This year’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace is generating some interesting data on the state of health of UK employees. Our employee health director Dr Steve Boorman is part of the team evaluating this in 2022. You can learn more in our previous article Creating a healthy workplace effectively requires data.

We await the results, but hope that it will improve on previous worrying data such as:

• Work related stress is on the rise – 56% of workers report stress, with more than 10% of workers earning less than £30k suffering from depression
• 42% of workers say they have issues with their sleep
• Only 28% of workers know what health support is available to them – 72% do not
• UK businesses lose the equivalent of 14.6% of each employee’s working hours annually

Effective change is only possible for businesses by creating a connected environment that enables managers to support the safety and health of employees in their everyday interactions and activities – not when a risk assessor sticks their head around the door.

Empactis helps organisations support managers across the enterprise to manage the health, safety, and wellbeing of employees better, and connect it closely to absence management and HR case management. Learn more about Empactis Absence Manager.

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MSK disorders span a huge range of physical issues from neck issues and back pain, through to joint issues such as knee or shoulder problems caused by a range of underlying problems – the top six being:

• Tendonitis
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Bone fractures
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

The problem for employers is that MSK conditions are often not just painful for individuals but can severely limit mobility, dexterity, and other functional limitations. These can impact a person’s ability to work effectively in many job roles – or, indeed, at all.

Read how a major employer in the NHS saved more than £1 million in less than 6 months on MSK absences alone, as part of an integrated employee health initiative enabled by Empactis

MSK absences are only one challenge

MSK conditions are a challenge both for absence, since many people will need to consult a GP for such issues either on a regular or one-off basis, or experience pain episodes that prevent them from attending work. They are also an issue in presenteeism, as the stoic British worker grits their teeth and turns up to work despite feeling under the weather. They are also a leading cause of work disability and can be a driver of both long-term sickness absence and early retirement as a result.

“Back, neck, muscle and joint conditions are one of the most common reasons why employees need time off work or are unable to fulfil their duties to the best of their abilities. Discomfort and pain can cause mental as well as physical distress. Often the condition becomes aggravated because an employee feels unable to discuss it openly with a line manager.”

Society of Occupational Medicine

A cost and challenge for employers

Almost all people managers in the UK will have experienced an employee citing back pain as a reason for absence or underperformance. It is something that up to 60% of the adult population of the UK can expect to experience. It is far from trivial; lower back pain is the single leading cause of disability in 160 countries, according to the World Health Organisation.

MSK is a gender-neutral condition, affecting men and women alike. 38% of men have an MSK condition and 35% of women have an MSK condition.

The incidence of some types of MSK issues rise with age – and, of course, the British workforce is ageing. Already, more than half of the working population is over 50 within the SMEs that employ a majority of UK employees.

The problem can be exacerbated by other issues. 30% of working age people with MSK conditions also have depression – and those with both a mental health and physical MSK condition are less likely to be in work.

The ultimate impact on employers is significant, when you add up loss of productivity due to MSK and insurance impacts – given that MSK disorders represent a high proportion of injury compensation costs.

“The risk factors for poor MSK health are similar to those for heart disease, respiratory problems, diabetes and cancer. So, investment in general health and wellbeing will help to address other health issues in the workplace.”  BITC

Taking action on MSK in the workplace

• Employers have many options to help prevent MSK injury and support employees to minimise its impacts on their ability to work. These include:
• Providing ergonomic equipment and assessing the ergonomics of existing workplaces
• Encouraging breaks to avoid people sitting, standing, or working at length in one position
• Supporting staff to reduce lifestyle risks through workplace healthy lifestyle initiatives
• Analysing tasks and roles to minimise or avoid repetitive motions and gestures
• Reducing risk to employee health in general with rigorous Health & Safety procedures
• Embracing employee health management more holistically within workforce strategies
• Connect and monitor absences and employee health for a true picture of MSK impacts*

Useful Links about MSK for employers

• BackCare Charity and their annual Back Care Awareness Week (October) https://backcare.org.uk/event/2022-back-care-awareness-week/
• The MSK at work Network – Society for Occupational Medicine https://www.som.org.uk/msk-work-network
• HSE’s Online digital MSD Online Assessment Tool – a good aid for employers who must perform risk assessments https://books.hse.gov.uk/MSD-Assessment-Tool/
• BITC Musculoskeletal health in the workplace https://www.bitc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bitc-wellbeing-toolkit-musculoskeletal-mar2017.pdf

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So, what should you be looking for? We explore the essential HR case management software features that large employers need to effectively manage their workforce.  

What are HR case management software systems? 

A case management system is software designed to process and administer any situation to do with employees. Also known as Employee Relations (ER) cases, these may be handled by the HR team or by a dedicated ER staff. They can include onboarding, leave requests, grievances, performance, disciplinaries, absence and many other circumstances.  

With so many ER case types to manage, HR teams need flexible HR software that can deliver a full and accurate case management perspective.  

Employers need to take for a holistic approach when choosing a HR case management system. They should seek one that not only takes every kind of HR case into account, but can also link to other critical employee information and workflows such as absence management and employee health management. 

‘Whole person’ ER case management: why does it matter? 

In large organisations, taking a ‘whole person’ view can reveal patterns and trends that are otherwise invisible.  

For example: Employee absence isn’t just a one-off event. Absence can signal a health concern or even mask a performance problem. But without software to highlight the patterns, they’re difficult for HR managers to identify – especially during early stages.  That identification is essential if it is to be possible to move smoothly into an ER management activity.  

With the right HR case management software at their fingertips, line managers gain an in-depth understanding of their workforce that enables them to connect information about employees together. They can detect trends in employee behaviour to address health, absence, and grievance issues before they lead to employee health cases. 

Large organisations need an advanced system to provide deeper insights and a ‘whole-person’ approach to employee health and performance. Identifying patterns has become particularly relevant post-COVID.  A line manager facing resistance from an employee in returning to the office faces a combination of absence and health management challenges, but it may also mask a performance issue, or manifest itself as a grievance  

Types of HR case management software used for UK businesses 

To maintain good ER case management, employers need appropriate systems in place. Some businesses fall into the trap of trying to handle HR cases without the right software. But muddling through or making do only paves the way for future employment tribunals. 

Of the many systems available, several are designed for ‘pure HR’ only. They track traditional personnel activities, rather than taking a whole employee or workforce management approach. Others focus on specific industries, which can be restrictive. 

Some enterprise-level HR technologies don’t connect as seamlessly with other business functions as they claim. And while they may help you manage live HR cases, they don’t connect to other workflows, which means they may miss underlying causes or influences.   

So how do you choose the best HR case management software in the UK? How will you get the functionality you need to understand the bigger picture for your workforce? 

It’s a question of looking for the right features to give you the insights you need. 

What features should you look for in HR case management solution? 

Basic HR tech might be adequate for traditional personnel activities. But in a modern workplace, dealing with every HR case on an item-by-item basis means you’re missing crucial insights. 

What are the essential features that large employers should consider when choosing a case management system? 

1. Connect ER cases to absence, health, and other employee case types: 

Keeping an eye on employee absence and making links to employee behaviour can identify trends early. A single person might be the subject of multiple HR cases during their employment, but handling these on a case-by-case basis doesn’t allow you to track patterns. Instead, a ‘whole person’ approach connects absence with health and all other ER cases. 

High-level views of status and progress catches trends early so employers can support workers with their health for better workplace productivity.  

2. Track trends over time 

Timeline features in HR case management software allow you to monitor trends and patterns at employee, department, and company level. It enables employers to identify improvements to support individuals or the wider workforce. 

3. Complete audit trails of all HR case interactions 

Accurate, detailed records reduce complexity, risk, and potential liability when managing employee relations cases. Audit trails are essential in ER case relations, so choosing software that guides users through processes and keeps full records will protect your organisation in the event of a tribunal. 

4. High security and multiple user access 

With sensitive and personal data at stake, organisations need a secure HR case management system that gives access permissions without being shareable. Employers need HR case management software that is highly secure, and which manages employee data on a ‘need to know’ basis within a defined management hierarchy.  

Closely controlled systems mean HR professionals, case managers, team leaders, investigating officers and resource managers have the relevant, real-time information they need to work effectively. Software like Empactis HR Case Manager has GDPR and data security at its core, with permission management to keep confidentiality and usability high. 

5. Seamless integration with HR management software and enterprise systems 

When looking to upgrade an HR management software solution, one of the best ways to achieve advanced case management is to choose software that integrates fully with enterprise platforms already i place 

The best HR case management systems integrate fully with technology from other suppliers across the HR software landscape to support the workforce and manage HR cases to keep your workforce happy, healthy and productive. 

Empactis HR case management software integrates seamlessly with many mainstream HR management information systems and enterprise ERP systems, delivering complementary capabilities for any organisation. It also draws data directly from the NHS ESR system and integrates with key rostering and recruitment platforms used widely by NHS organisations.   

6. Configurable to your unique organisation 

For an HR case management system to bring real value, it must adapt to your unique requirements and workflows.  

Flexible options like Empactis HR case management software work with an employer’s current systems. They capture the hierarchy and employee groupings, and using your organisation’s existing forms, checklists and templates for a smooth integration and transition. 

7. Capacity to support business through pandemic situations 

When major disruptions hit your workforce, you need the capability to deal with rapid, sustained increases in employee relations cases. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a boom in employee issues that were not restricted to health – with huge spikes in absence, and significant numbers of grievance cases emerging around perceived treatment of employees.   

The pandemic has not yet receded and, while COVID is becoming endemic, further spikes are possible.  

HR managers need to be empowered to track COVID-connected ER cases as well as absence and health cases, access organisation-wide visibility of COVID risk and vaccination status, and manage swift and safe returns to work – this is only possible with a connected Employee Health Management System like Empactis.   

8. Easy and Intuitive user interface 

As with any tech, a company will get the best results from its HR case management software if it’s intuitive, with a familiar user interface.  

Choose a HR case management platform that integrates with enterprise systems like Office365, with cloud storage and mobile optimisation so staff can learn the software quickly and access functionality from anywhere. 

Empactis HR case management offers seamless integration, giving an accessible user experience across any large organisation. 

The bottom line for HR case management software 

HR case management isn’t a standalone challenge. HR cases come in many different types and from many different sources. They influence and are affected by every area of the business.  

This means organisations need to take a wider view on workforce management, connecting data about health to workflows and key business processes with a purpose-built case management system. When HR and workforce owners are empowered, they can create the right working environment and tackle issues early. 

Employers need HR case management software that connects strongly across different workforce management workflows to achieve a fully capable solution. The software you select must integrate with other systems your organisation uses to get the best results for your individual employees, your entire workforce and your organisation. 

Discover how Empactis HR case management software can help you see the bigger picture around employee relations and employee health engagement across your organisation

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We are really looking forward to the results of this year’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey. For those unfamiliar with it, this annual healthy workplace award is a benchmark for testing the employee health of the nation. Founded by Vitality, it is backed as usual by the Financial Times, joined this year by Rand Europe, Aon, and the University of Cambridge to add fresh academic data analysis.

Our Employee Health Director, Dr Steve Boorman, has been involved with the board and steering committee for this initiative since the very start. 

He explained: “Among other things, the survey aims to highlight the true costs and productivity impacts to a business that are associated with their staff health – that is not just sickness absence, but also sick presence and presenteeism, which are growing issues. Gathering data from companies is not just a way to learn, but to raise awareness that staff health is a financial factor not just an HR issue.”

Healthy workplace award gathers impressions from workers and businesses

As in previous years, the survey is inviting businesses with more than 20 staff, and their staff too, to answer questions about the perceived current health of their workforce, so they can understand what they need to do to make a positive further impact and create healthy workplaces.

“This year is important, as it will explore the effects of the pandemic as well as the broader factors influencing the health of employees. It has previously shone a light on topics including loss of productivity from day one absence, a subject close to our heart. After skipping a year due to COVID, we hope this year will help raise employee health and wellbeing even higher on the corporate agenda” says Dr Boorman.

You need data to inform workplace health strategies and help with creating a healthy workplace

The survey will culminate in awards in a range of categories in November this year, with coveted Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum gongs up for grabs. 

Yet Dr Boorman is keen to emphasise that this is in no way a ‘beauty parade’ but strives to be a driver of change. He stated:

“Of course it’s great to identify and share those exemplars of good employee health practice in the winners’ lineup. However it is also about creating insight that can inform strategies. We have known for a long time that there are three employee states of health. Those who are thriving and contributing to their maximum, those off sick and clearly costing their employers as a result, and those who are sick but also come to work. The latter may be struggling, sometimes unnoticed, and create hidden costs and impacts.”

“Employers can benefit directly from the survey. It acts as a kind of thermometer, helping to measure the health of their employees, understanding the issues that exist. The data from the wider survey can in turn also identify potential measures for improvement. These can link directly to the business case of boosting productivity and efficiency, while reducing costs and risks.  We hope it will incentivize employers to adopt systems to help track and measure data around employee health more consistently and accurately.”

Connecting employee health and business success

“I hope that this survey and the insights it delivers will help employers make new connections between employee health, business success, and competitiveness. Then they can take other supportive actions. For example, increasing Occupational Health investments and understanding that it is not just a new ‘cost’ but a benefit to the business.  There are so many benefits of a proactive employee health strategy. Benefiting brand reputation, helping retain staff, and attract the new talent and teams that companies need in the future. Embracing more measurement in this area will help organisations prove its Return on Investment.”

We urge companies to get involved. It will help build the biggest and clearest snapshot possible of the health of our nation’s employees. It is free to register for any company with more than 20 employees and will test both employees’ and their employer’s perspective on health. Not only are entrants in with a chance of awards, but they gain a valuable benchmark report on which to build. Register on the Vitality website.

Historic data can only ever provide a partial picture of workplace health – how do you take action?

Surveys like Britain’s Healthiest Workplace provide valuable intelligence to help companies understand where they stand. They then need to take proactive action. With the aid of the Empactis Employee Health Management System employers can create healthy workplace cultures backed up with effective enterprise-wide health management and workflows.

It helps organisations build and maintain a true and accurate understanding of current workplace health and associated factors such as sickness absence, interaction with occupational health services, and wider employee relations matters.

Only with complete and current data can leaders make effective workforce-level decisions and design future workplace strategies that can truly transform workplace health.

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