In order for a business to be successful, it has to generate sales and keep costs to a minimum. One of the biggest and most unnecessary expenses for any company is sickness absence – it can cost thousands, if not millions, of pounds every single year.

Although staff sickness levels do seem to be falling, it is still a cost that businesses can't afford. The average UK worker took off 3.6% of working time in 2007, but that has since fallen to 2.8% -- or roughly equivalent to six days. Although the rate is reducing one asks themself “If every single one of my employees is off sick with pay for six days, just how much is this costing my business?”

There are two main problems for employers to tackle when it comes to sickness absence; the first thing is helping members of staff stay fit and healthy, but the second is preventing fake sick days.

Private medical insurance

Many employees will expect certain benefits as part of their package, including private medical insurance. If you're not relying on the NHS to treat your members of staff, they are likely to be back to work sooner. The less time your employees are off work, the less money it will cost. As with most things in business, private medical insurance will require a certain amount of investment before you can expect to reap any reward.

Offer healthy rewards

This next tip manages to help combat staff sickness levels by tackling both problems. Rewarding your employees with additional benefits, over and above what they would expect, you'll see improved levels of motivation. By making sure those rewards are healthy, you'll also be able to ensure they're eating right, reducing the likelihood of them becoming ill in the first place. If you're interested in cutting sickness levels and improving the overall ambiance and mood in your office you can arrange an office fruit delivery by visiting http://fruitfuloffice.co.uk. The consistent availability of fresh fruit will result in a lot more of it being eaten, delivering stable sugar supplies and helping your staff store up their vitamin levels.

Return to work interviews

While offering employees lots of benefits and rewards can indeed make them more interested in being at work, sometimes you have to come down hard too. When a member of staff returns from their absence, employers should request that line managers carry out a formal interview. During the Q&A, managers will question employees on why they were off, if they expect it to be an ongoing problem and then inform them of the potential consequences to repeated absences.

Flexible working

It's important that employers appreciate that their staff do work hard and that they have their own personal lives outside of work. By being flexible and allowing employees a certain level of freedom, you'll be able to reduce sickness rates. For example, if they're parents, they might need to stay off with their sick child – allowing them to use annual leave at short notice or work from home is better than an additional sickness day.

These are just a few of the ways that you could reduce staff sickness levels, but there are plenty more. By investing time and money in your workforce, you're likely to end up with increased motivation and productivity. While disciplinary procedures are important, don't underestimate the effect that appreciation and reward can have.