The need to move the dial on sickness absence
Sickness absence in the UK is at a historically high level. Simplyhealth and CIPD’s Health and wellbeing at work (2025) report shows that UK employees were off sick for 9.4 days on average in 2025, the highest in more than 15 years and a steep increase from 7.8 days in 2023 and 5.8 days pre pandemic.
The top causes of short-term absence were minor illnesses, such as colds (78%), and mental ill-health, such as depression (29%). Stress and caring responsibilities for children both stood at a little over a quarter (26%).
The top causes of long-term absence are mental ill-health (41%), musculoskeletal injuries, such as back pain (31%) and other long-term health conditions, such as cancer (30%).
According to the Keep Britain Working report, sickness absences cost employers on average £120 per day in profit. Yet it’s not only the financial cost of someone's absence; there are also impacts from reduced productivity, unplanned costs, and potential work disruption.
Make an impact
Even though many employers have made significant strides in expanding access to healthcare support for their people through the introduction of benefits such as digital GP services, mental health platforms, and broader wellbeing benefits, sickness absence continues to escalate.
There is no single answer for managing or reducing sickness absence. Instead, employers will need to delve into their own employee population and existing benefits and absence data to understand what can make a difference and how.
Employers need to plan strategically to support their workforce. Here are some top tips to help move the dial:
1. Assess employee access to health support. Is it inclusive and easily available? Could a digital approach be more effective for your workforce?
2. Use data to understand long- and short-term absence trends to better target support.
3. Offer personalised, whole-of-workforce preventative health to support employees to look after their health before an issue escalates.
These issues will be covered during REBA’s webinar Building a connected approach to workforce health and productivity in partnership with Simplyhealth. Register to attend to hear from Paul Craven, director, total rewards at CloudPay; Catherine Ritchie, senior wellbeing and people experience manager at Clifford Chance; and Dr Macarena Staudenmaier, head of clinical product and operations at Simplyhealth.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, REBA
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