Covid-19 was the top cause of disability for workers in the manufacturing sector; and third-leading cause of short-term disability for US staff in 2020, according to Unum’s latest research.
Last year, proved to be a record-year for disability and leave requests, according to the health benefits provider. In fact, Unum handled over a million short-term disability claims and leave requests in 2020. Experts at the company attribute the spike to the pandemic, as well as the growing need for financial protection and leave management assistance.
TOP CAUSES OF DISABILITY
Even the younger workforce is at risk of disability, warned Unum. The Social Security Administration estimates that one in four of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before reaching age 67. The top causes of short-term disability in 2020, according to Unum, were:
- Pregnancy (25%)
- Injury (10%)
- Covid-19 (10%)
- Joint disorders (7%)
- Behavioural health (6%)
“The pandemic made disability a reality for many,” stated Chris Pyne, Executive Vice President of Group Benefits at Unum. “It reminds us of the importance of preparing for life’s unexpected health events.”
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
Staff mental health is at an all time low in the US. More people filed behavioural health claims – which includes mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, substance use disorder, stress and resiliency management – with Unum than ever before. It represented 6% of total claims and ranks as the fifth-leading cause of disability. Over the last decade, claims for behavioural health have increased 21%, according to Unum’s data.
Unum research also shows that half of workers struggle with mental health issues; with 57% saying they missed work last year because they felt mentally unwell. Depression and anxiety in the workplace is on of the leading causes of lost productivity on the job and unplanned absences.
“Covid-19 further exacerbated the mental health crisis that we were already in, but it also helped normalise the need for mental health support,” highlighted Swapnil Prabha, Vice President of Digital Offerings at Unum who spearheads Unum’s behavioural health solutions for employers. “Now more than ever companies should see meaningful returns from investing in employees’ mental health.”
In 2020, Unum paid $6.2 billion in benefits in the US and helped over 900 companies manage more than 100 leave laws, including leave related to the Family Medical and Leave and state legislation.
MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK
Check out other recent articles on workplace mental health issues on fairplaytalks.com, such as:
- Young employees worldwide are worried that revealing mental health issues to their employers could have a negative impact on their career progression, according to a new study.
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