HR Guide – Digestive health

Digestive health isn’t just a pain in the gut for individuals – it’s also having an impact on their workplaces.

When we talk about digestive or gut health, we’re talking about both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts, from the mouth, oesophagus and stomach through to the small intestine, large intestine or colon, right out to the anus.

Digestive health issues can include things like acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, heartburn, indigestion, excessive wind, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, stomach cramps and pain.

According to Guts UK, some of the most commonly diagnosed conditions are Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), gastritis, gall stones , diverticulitis and peptic ulceration (stomach ulcers).

But there are other more serious gut conditions, like Chrohn’s Disease, which will have a severe impact on people’s lives – and their ability work. People with severe gut symptoms might need extra or urgent toilet breaks, have dietary restrictions, might be reluctant or unable to travel, and might need time off work or the ability to work from home on bad days.

It is also worth noting that bowel cancer is the 4^th² most common type of cancer in the UK, and people’s reluctance to talk about burps, trumps, bellies and bowel movements, particularly at work, can lead to delays in diagnosis. That in itself can have a severe impact on their health, and ultimately their prognosis.

Businesses should have the guts to talk about guts, in order to both support people with existing conditions to manage them - and to help prevent others from developing them in the first place.

Digestive health in numbers

43%³ of Brits suffer from digestive discomfort
1 million⁴ people live with a serious bowel condition
10-20%⁵ of adults are living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
500,000⁶ people in the UK have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (eg. Chrohn’s Disease)
58%⁷of people are embarrassed about their gut health condition or symptoms
51%⁸of people delay seeking advice for 6 months or more
90%⁹ - the 5+ year survival rate of people diagnosed with bowel cancer at stage
10%¹⁰- the 5+ year survival rate of people diagnosed with bowel cancer at stage 4
72%¹¹- of poor gut-sufferers take up to 5 days off each working year due to their symptoms
£3 billion¹² – the amount British businesses are estimated to lose every year through sick days related to gut health
87%¹³ - say their employer doesn’t understand their condition

What does the law say about digestive health?

Some digestive health issues will be recognised under the Equality Act 2010, which means businesses have a duty of care to employees, and must make reasonable adjustments to help them in their jobs.

How can businesses support people with digestive health issues?

1. Training for line managers

It’s really important line managers understand that things like IBS are real conditions that aren’t under an employee’s control, that they feel confident to talk confidentially but openly about these issues - and that they know what the business is able to do in terms of making reasonable adjustments.

2. Reasonable adjustments

Businesses need to work with individuals to decide what’s going to work best to help them manage their condition in the workplace. For instance, that might include locating a desk near the loos, being flexible on toilet breaks, allowing work from home days or extra time off for medical appointments, or ensuring employees working away are allowed their own room and bathroom.

3. Raising awareness

Businesses can play a role in tackling the stigma, breaking down the barriers, and encouraging people to start talking about POO. Get involved in Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April, using some of these resources from the government, or these from Bowel Cancer UK - including symptom posters, leaflets, social media assets and communication kits.

4. Promote healthy living

Three of the biggest factors in helping to promote gut health are healthy eating, more movement, and less stress. Workplaces can help on all three fronts with health focussed campaigns like steps or walking challenges, standing meetings, protected lunch hours and breaks, and making healthy snacks available in vending machines. They can also encourage line managers to talk about wellbeing, and put processes in place to help manage workplace stress.

5. Reminding people about their Equipsme plan

Remind people that their Equipsme plan is there not just as rainy-day back-up, but to support their everyday health.

How can Equipsme help?

1. Health Support Line

Our health support line is the first port of call for employees with a health-related question. Whether it’s a medicine that’s upset someone’s stomach, a bug that’s infected the household, or someone pregnant struggling to hold down food – the nurses, midwives and pharmacists on the AXA Health at Hand helpline are there to offer advice and guidance.

2. Stress Support Line

If the Stress Support Line is part of your package, it’s worth reminding employees that this confidential service is there to help them manage their mental health, with trained counsellors who take calls all the time on things like relationship issues, money worries, bereavement, workplace stress, or general anxiety and depression.

3. GP Service

The trouble with vague digestive issues is that they can be hard to diagnose, and then to find an effective treatment. One of the great things about Equipsme is that our 24/7 GP can act as a second opinion service, so if an employee is struggling to get answers from their community GP, they can talk to someone virtually by phone or video through your Equipsme plan. (For some that could also make having an ‘embarrassing’ conversation easier). If diagnosis is part of their plan, our GP may also provide an open referral letter if they think you should see a specialist and you can refer that open referral to the claims team at AXA Health to assess if covered.

4. AXA’s Digestive Health Pathway

For those with diagnosis or treatment as part of their Equipsme plan, our partners at AXA Health have a specialist Digestive Health Pathway to help get you support for digestive concerns or symptoms within a matter of days.

Once you have a GP referral, contact AXA Health who will assess if your claim is covered and if so, can arrange for a specialist consultant to complete an online assessment within three working days (this can really help if you find it tricky talking about digestive symptoms and what’s worrying you). After you’ve received the results of your assessment, if you need a further consultation, or have any further questions, you can have a phone or video call from the comfort and privacy of home.

If you need further tests, these can be arranged quickly too – including home test kits to collect things like stool samples if appropriate. If you then need a camera test, such as a colonoscopy, or if you need to see a specialist face-to-face, you’re on the fast-track to book these appointments online through your Equipsme plan.

Find out more about how to use our diagnostic services

Out of scope

Please remember that your Equipsme plan cannot be used for any issue you’ve had symptoms or any other medical attention for in the last three years. We also exclude some chronic conditions, including ongoing Chrohn’s disease treatment.

Great websites and resources

Bowel Cancer UK
Bowel Cancer Research
Cancer Research UK
Guts UK

Sources:

All our information is desk-based research from credible sources only, including the NHS and medical/disease charities.

Date created: July 2024

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