Employee sick days have nearly doubled since Covid

Experts call for “socially sensitive leaders with emotional intelligence and social skills” and a more proactive approach to creating supportive workplaces

UK employees took an average of 9.4 sick days in the last 12 months compared to 7.8 days in 2023 and 5.8 days pre-Covid, a CIPD and Simplyhealth report has revealed.

Poor mental health, including depression or anxiety (41%), musculoskeletal injuries such as back pain (31%) and long-term health conditions including cancer (30%) were the most common long-term ailments. Common short-term absences included minor illnesses, like colds/flu (78%), mental ill health (29%), and stress and caring responsibilities for children (both 26%).

With around 8.7 million people living with a work-limiting condition, the report also highlights the rising levels of long-term health conditions in working adults and the need for practical action to address increasing levels of absence. This includes understanding how ill mental and physical health affects people and creating supportive environments to allow people to manage their health at work.

The report revealed that despite most business leaders recognising the value good health and wellbeing can bring, many employers take a reactive approach to workforce health.

Rachel Suff, Senior Wellbeing Adviser at the CIPD, said it is “really important” employers are proactive and “create workplaces that are supportive and help staff manage their health. Changes, like flexible hours and adjustments to workload, can often make a big difference to help prevent ill health from worsening and absence.”

Targeted action in areas of greatest need, such as ill mental health, is crucial to helping employees deal with both work-related stress and personal challenges, she added. 

“…the main drivers behind [mental health absences] are job insecurity, concerns around downsizing or restructuring for example, and the cost-of-living crisis.”

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at the University of Manchester said Health and Safety Executive data estimates 52-57% of all work-related absences are linked to anxiety, stress and depression.

Cooper said: “Absences linked to mental health are at a high level and have been for some time. Although there is no one-size-fits-all, the main drivers behind this are job insecurity, concerns around downsizing or restructuring for example, and the cost-of-living crisis.”

The underlying reason why this is affecting employees, Cooper said, is because of the way they are managed: “We need socially sensitive leaders with emotional intelligence and social skills who can recognise and address the anxieties and concerns around job insecurities – that would eliminate half the problem.”

Professor Gail Kinman, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at Birkbeck Business School agreed that work-related stress is “a major factor, often fuelled by heavy workloads and financial pressures.”

Sickness presenteeism, working while unwell, has become more common, she added: "Although it may appear to show dedication to the job, it usually reduces productivity, slows recovery and can lead to longer-term absence.”

Overly strict systems to manage sickness absence “can worsen the problem by encouraging dysfunctional presenteeism,” Kinman said. “A more effective approach is to build a supportive culture, keep workloads realistic, provide opportunities for flexible working and provide access to health and wellbeing resources, including mental health support.”

Nil Guzelgun, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Mind added that employers have a legal duty to prevent work stress and support good mental health under the Equality Act 2010. “We encourage organisations to show their commitment to workforce mental health by signing up to Mind’s Mental Health at Work Commitment, which provides a framework for employers to improve mental health and wellbeing in their workplaces."