Britain’s workforce is off sick with unprecedented frequency, prompting calls for employers to rethink how they approach health, flexibility and work design.
A new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and health plan provider Simplyhealth shows that employees took an average of 9.4 sick days over the past year. That’s nearly two full working weeks, and a significant jump from the pre-pandemic average of 5.8 days in 2019.
This 62 percent rise in absenteeism marks the highest level of sickness absence recorded in over 15 years. Analysts say the trend is being fuelled by an ageing workforce, rising rates of chronic conditions and long waits for NHS treatment.
Mental health leads long-term absence
The report found that mental ill health, including stress, anxiety and depression, was the most common cause of absences lasting four weeks or longer. Shorter-term absences remained largely driven by minor illnesses, though stress was also reported as a leading factor.
Rachel Suff, senior wellbeing adviser at the CIPD, told The Times that employers should adopt “a proactive approach” to supporting people managing health conditions, warning that longer absences could make it harder for staff to return.
More than 40 percent of employers said stress was a cause of absence in their organisation, with staff in health, care and education roles among the most affected.
Presenteeism still a hidden cost
Alongside formal absences, researchers continue to highlight the cost of presenteeism, which is when people work despite being unwell. A study by the Institute for Public Policy Research found that presenteeism accounted for around 44 days of lost productivity per worker each year, on top of 6.7 sick days.
The total cost of illness-related absence and lost productivity is now estimated at over £100 billion annually, a rise of nearly 40 percent since 2018.
Public sector workers are taking more time off too. The number of long-term absences among civil servants rose to 3.5 days in 2023, up from 2.9 days two years earlier.
Sick pay and return-to-work barriers
Statutory sick pay in the UK remains one of the lowest among developed economies, at just £118.75 per week for up to 28 weeks. Former John Lewis chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield, who is leading an independent review for government, said earlier this year that low support made it easier for firms to replace workers than help them return.
In the Netherlands, by comparison, employers are required to pay up to 70 percent of a worker’s salary for two years. The system has coincided with a significant drop in economic inactivity due to sickness.
Mayfield has suggested using both incentives and obligations to keep people in work, rather than waiting for them to return once they have left the workforce altogether.
Policy changes under way
The Employment Rights Bill currently before Parliament could lead to changes in how employers handle sick pay. Proposals include scrapping the three-day waiting period before statutory sick pay begins and extending eligibility to lower-paid workers.
The Trades Union Congress has said the reforms could benefit over a million people and would provide a better safety net for those managing health conditions. It estimates the changes could generate more than £2 billion in long-term economic benefits, despite short-term costs to employers.
Labour ministers have argued that improving support for ill and disabled workers is essential to addressing skills shortages and economic inactivity.
Supporting staff before they go off sick
While policy reform may help, workplace experts say the solution also lies in how organisations manage absence at a practical level.
The CIPD survey showed that 88 percent of employers now offer mental health support, such as employee assistance programmes or counselling. But many schemes are reactive, only kicking in once problems are severe.
Employers are being urged to train managers to recognise early signs of distress, encourage open conversations and support adjustments before absences occur.
Flexible working continues to play a key role in keeping people well. The survey found that over a third of organisations with remote or hybrid staff had seen a fall in sick days, compared with just 16 percent reporting a rise.
Trade union leaders say that improved flexibility and inclusive workplace design are no longer nice-to-haves, but essential tools to maintain workforce stability.
A long-term challenge
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the union Prospect, said there was no single fix for the sharp and sustained rise in absences. He warned that demographic pressures, delayed healthcare and workplace stress were combining to create serious challenges for employers.
“Given the demographic pressures and skills shortages facing the UK workforce, doing this will be critical to delivering economic success,” Clancy said.
