The number of sick days taken by British workers has reached the highest level in more than 15 years, a new survey suggests.
In the past 12 months alone, workers have on average taken almost two full working weeks off in sick days.
That’s an increase from just over one week before the pandemic, according to a survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
A rise in long-term health conditions and an aging workforce are just some of the reasons for the steep rise in sick days - with mental health being the leading cause of absences of four weeks or more.
The CIPD survey, which analysed trends in 1,101 employers, found more than 40 per cent of workplaces noted stress as a significant factor in both long and short-term absences from work, The Times reported.
However bosses did note the shift towards working from home has helped to reduce sick days, with a third of employers noting a decline in absences among staff who can work from home in comparison to a 16 per cent increase in those that work in the office.
“Long or repeated periods of sickness absence can make it difficult for organisations to plan their work and unplanned absences can also place additional strain on colleagues,” Rachel Suff, senior wellbeing adviser at the CIPD said.
She added that employers should take a “proactive approach” to help people manage mental health conditions.
The rising number of sick days comes as productivity is falling - with a widening productivity gap between the public and private sector since 2019. Calculations from professional services firm EY found the productivity gap has cost the UK tens of billions of pounds.
The new work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, previously told a committee of MPs this summer that the culture of work needed to change to adapt to rising levels of disability in Britain.
In March, she identified one million young people – one in eight – who are not in employment, education or training.
The CIPD report revealed 25 per cent of people now report having a life-limiting disability and mental health problems have also increasingly become more common.
There are 8.7 million people of working age with a disability - up from two million just five years ago.
The survey found companies were trying to address health and wellbeing issues. More than two thirds (66 per cent) were offering occupational sick pay for all employees and 69 per cent were providing occupational health schemes.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the trade union Prospect, said there is no “single quick fix” to address the significant increase in sick days. He suggested it was likely being driven by several factors and practical solutions would be needed to keep people in employment.
“Given the demographic pressures and skills shortages facing the UK workforce, doing this will be critical to delivering economic success,” he said.
It comes after analysis in March suggested that work-related illness is costing the UK economy more than £400 million a week.
The study, based on data from government workplace regulator the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and carried out for the Trades Union Congress (TUC), also revealed that the number of cumulative sick days lost due to ill-health has increased by a third since 2010, to 34 million.
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