One in four British workers who have taken time off work with illness have reported long Covid is the main reason for their prolonged sick leave, a survey has revealed.
The research, encompassing 804 organisations that represent more than 4.3 employees, showed nearly half (46 per cent) of firms had workers that experienced symptoms of long Covid.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a human resources group, which carried out the questionnaire, said companies should do more to support employees with the condition.
The NHS says long Covid symptoms include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness, concentration and memory problems, joint pain and low moods, among others. CIPD’s survey showed 26 per cent of employees had listed the condition as a cause for long-term absence.
Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser for employment relations at the CIPD, said long Covid “remains a growing issue that employers need to be aware of, and they should take appropriate steps to support employees with the condition”.
Her call comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains determined to steer millions away from Covid-19 restrictions. In January, he declined to extend measures aimed at curbing the spread of Omicron. Backbench MPs in his own party called for the rules to be rolled back and welcomed his decision to scrap face mask requirements and a working-from-home order.
Quarantine and travel testing rules were also eased for vaccinated travellers. The government’s decision to take a less-severe stance on tackling Covid-19 came after scientists said Omicron was less severe than initially thought.
But despite the lifting of restrictions, Britain is still averaging around 80,000 coronavirus cases each day.
Britain has reported nearly 18 million infections overall, and the Office for National Statistics estimates that at the start of the year, 1.3 million people were living with self-reported symptoms of long Covid. Mild cases of the virus can still lead to the debilitating condition.
In January, an expert said it could take a person with long Covid up to three years to fully recover from the condition.
The CIPD said a fifth of employers didn't know whether their workers were experiencing ongoing symptoms following a Covid-19 infection, and only 19 per cent provided guidance for employees about managing health conditions while at work.
"There's a risk that those who experience ongoing long Covid symptoms may not get the support they need in the workplace and could even fall out of work," Ms Suff said
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On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
