Bosses Not In Favour Of Staff Trips To The Dentist

Thu, 07 May 2009

New research has revealed that 1 in 8 managers in the UK do not trust their employees when it comes to taking time off to have their teeth checked out.

According to a new dental study from health insurer Simplyhealth, 13 per cent of company bosses dictate when staff can visit the dentist and in some cases, actively discourage any visits to the dentist during working hours.

The survey found that bad dentistry threatens to have an negative effect on workers’ careers the impact of employees who are not given time to see a dental practitioner threatens to have a negative effect on their career .

Three-quarters of staff feel their chances of career progression could be affected by having bad teeth, with nearly a third of bosses citing bad teeth as a reason for not promoting an employee.

In addition, 40 per cent of managers say an employee with an unattractive smile or bad breath would not be taken to client meetings.

Commenting on the findings, James Glover, corporate director at Simplyhealth, said: "All managers want to be able to trust their staff, as a positive relationship between manager and employee is far more likely to lead to a good and sustained working relationship."

"But staff absenteeism is a frustrating and costly issue for many managers in the UK, and giving staff time off to get their teeth checked can have a significant impact on a business ."

He added: "Economic conditions are playing their part in how infrequently people visit the dentist . However, those who decide to put off dental treatment can only expect their teeth to get worse, which can ultimately result in more expensive treatment and the need to take more time off work."

"Employees who are helped with the cost of dental treatment are more likely to visit the dentist at a time that works for their employer."

Staff absenteeism cost the British economy £13.2 billion in 2007, with the average employee taking seven days off due to health-related issues, according to the Confederation for British Industry.
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