Low cost, high impact: taking ownership works – if you truly understand sickness absence

Many organisations want to reduce sickness absence. Preferably with a specific intervention, a well-defined process or an occupational health provider that simply ‘takes care of it’. But if you want lasting results, there's one thing you need to recognise: sickness absence never has a single cause. It takes different forms, and each requires a different approach. Understand those differences, and you create the conditions for real change.

Sickness absence never has a single cause

• Short-term absence is often linked to lifestyle, acute stress or a reduced capacity to cope with demands.
• Frequent absence usually points to a more persistent imbalance in energy, motivation or workload.
• Long-term absence often results from a combination of medical, psychological and organisational factors.
• Potential absence can become a risk when employees don't feel seen or aren't sure how to manage their own employability.

Yet organisations often turn to a single solution: tighter controls, an intervention or a change in process. These measures may deliver results in the short term, but they rarely lead to lasting change.

The sustainable approach: reducing sickness absence through ownership, health and behaviour

Reducing sickness absence starts with taking ownership. Not just at an organisational level, but in day-to-day working life. It means managers who recognise the early signs, employees who take responsibility for their own employability, and a culture in which talking about health and the ability to work is simply part of the job. At De Nieuwe Arts, we see behavioural change as the key. When people understand their role, feel trusted and develop the right skills, they can change patterns for the long term.

1. Managers who know how to have the right conversations

Managers play a crucial role – not as people who simply monitor processes, but as genuine conversation partners. Effective managers recognise warning signs, ask open questions and build trust. That doesn't require more rules. It requires better skills. And those skills can make a real difference when it comes to reducing sickness absence sustainably.

2. Employees who understand what taking ownership means

Taking ownership doesn't mean: “You're on your own – deal with it.” It means combining autonomy with responsibility. Employees need to understand the choices available to them and learn how to manage their energy, health and capacity for work. When they have the confidence and skills to do this, behaviour changes – and sickness absence can fall over the long term.

3. Making health part of working life

A significant proportion of sickness absence is linked to lifestyle or people's capacity to cope with physical and mental demands. Sleep, stress, physical strain and mental pressure can all play a part. Organisations that make health and wellbeing an integral part of working life can have a positive impact on both short- and long-term absence – and are better placed to prevent problems in the future.

4. A culture that supports employability

In a sustainable organisation, conversations about health and employability are normal, responsibility is shared and employee health is part of the wider business strategy. Sickness absence isn't simply an administrative process to manage. It's a shared responsibility.

Why the investment pays off

Organisations that invest in ownership, health and behavioural change can achieve lasting results:

• Lower sickness absence costs
• Better retention and greater employee engagement
• More effective and confident managers
• More resilient employees who take responsibility
• A culture in which people can work healthily, effectively and with enjoyment

Low cost and high impact can go hand in hand – but not if you only treat the symptoms. Invest in people, leadership and health, and you invest in sustainable employability. By focusing on ownership, health and behavioural change, organisations can reduce sickness absence in a way that lasts.

Want to explore what this could mean for your organisation?

Would you like to find out how De Nieuwe Arts can help your organisation reduce sickness absence while strengthening sustainable employability? Arrange a no-obligation conversation with us. Together, we'll build an approach to employability that makes a real difference.