The average UK employee took nearly two full working weeks of sickness absence in the past year, a record high and a 62% increase on pre-pandemic levels.
The CIPD’s 2025 Health and Wellbeing at Work report, supported by Simplyhealth, found that the annual level of sickness absence, according to a YouGov survey of 1,100 HR professionals completed in April 2025, had reached 9.4 days per employee, on average.
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This compares to 5.8 days’ sickness absence in late 2019, before the Covid pandemic, and 7.8 days in 2023 when the survey was last carried out.
The CIPD said the figures highlight the urgent need for organisations to proactively address workforce health.
This includes understanding the impact ill health – both mental and physical – can have on individuals, and creating cultures where people feel genuinely supported to manage their health at work.
Rachel Suff, senior wellbeing adviser at the CIPD, said: “It’s really important for individuals, organisations and society that employers take a proactive approach to support people managing health conditions while working.
“The longer someone is off, the more they might struggle to return. 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.
“As people are working and living longer, employers need to 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.
“Employers should also focus support on the areas where it’s needed most by addressing the main health risks to people. Since mental ill health is a leading cause of absence, taking targeted action to help employees deal with both work-related stress and personal challenges is crucial.”
When asked about the top three causes of long-term absence (4 weeks or more) in their organisation, the most common responses from employers were mental ill health (41%); musculoskeletal injuries (31%) and other long-term health conditions (30%).
Minor illnesses, such as colds and flu, topped the causes of short-term absence (78%), alongside mental ill health such as depression or anxiety (29%), stress (26%), and caring responsibilities for children (26%).
To reduce sickness absence, the report urges employers to take a proactive approach to managing health risks at work, ensure that jobs don’t contribute to poor health, and provide effective support for employees with long-term conditions.
Employers’ approach still largely reactive
The survey found that most business leaders recognise the value good health and wellbeing can bring organisations, with 74% saying employee wellbeing is on senior leaders’ agendas in 2025, up markedly from 61% in 2020.
However, despite most organisations taking steps to improve employee health and wellbeing, these actions are still largely reactive. For example, the most common measures taken to support mental health include access to counselling (43%), phased return to work or other reasonable adjustments (43%) and providing access to employee assistance programmes (41%).
Training managers to support staff with mental ill health is less common (29%). Where training is provided, it makes a tangible difference. For example, 63% of employers say managers feel confident to spot the signs of mental ill health, and 73% say they feel confident to have sensitive conversations and signpost to support. This compares with 45% and 57%, respectively, where employers do not train managers.
Paul Schreier, chief executive of Simplyhealth, commented: “Employers have a crucial role in supporting employee health and driving a preventative approach, helping individuals stay in work while managing health conditions, benefitting both their workforce and the wider economy.
“By offering preventative care through easy-to-access health benefits that target the key drivers of absence – mental ill health, musculoskeletal issues and minor illnesses – employees are able to seek support early, before symptoms escalate. Providing affordable and accessible care, which is available to all employees 24/7, not just senior staff, can help employees recover quicker and return to work sooner. To help them make the most of these benefits, clear communication and a supportive culture are essential.”
Two-thirds (69%) of organisations provide occupational health services for employees, rising to 86% of large organisations with 250 or more employees. However, few use OH services to manage health risks (31%) or develop a health and wellbeing strategy or policy (29%).
Out of all organisations surveyed, two-thirds (66%) have occupational sick pay schemes for all employees, with 62% believing that statutory sick pay (SSP) (currently £118.75) is too low and should be increased. Three-quarters (75%) agree that SSP should be payable on a flexible basis – that is, paid on a part-time basis in conjunction with wages – to support a phased return to work.
In June, the Office for National Statistics reported that the rate of sickness absence fell in 2024, with employees losing on average 4.4 days of work per year.
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