Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsSickness absence management

Sickness absence levels show gradual improvement

by Laura Chamberlain 24 Jul 2012
by Laura Chamberlain 24 Jul 2012

The amount of working time lost to sickness absence has fallen gradually over the past five years, with employees taking, on average, two fewer days’ sick leave in 2011 than in 2007.

This is according to the latest annual XpertHR absence rates survey, which found that employees took an average of 6.4 days off sick in 2011, compared with 8.3 days in 2007.

The 2011 figure was equivalent to an average of 2.8% of working time lost to sickness absence, costing each organisation an average of £743,175 or £618 per employee.

Average absence rates

Year

Rate

2011

2.8%

2010

2.8%

2009

2.3%

2008

3.6%

2007

3.6%

The survey also found that, while public-sector absence rates exceeded those in private-sector services and manufacturing-and-production firms, there was a similar downward trend in absence across all of these sectors during the past five years.

In the public sector, absence rates fell from 4.6% in 2007 to 3.3% in 2011, in private-sector services the amount of time lost to sickness dropped from 3.5 % to 2.7%, and in manufacturing-and-production firms sickness absence fell from 3.4% to 2.7% over the same period.

The 343 employers surveyed by XpertHR were made up of 61.8% private-sector services companies, 24.6% manufacturing-and-production firms and 13.6% public-sector organisations.

Rachel Suff, XpertHR employment relations researcher and author of the report, explained the reasons behind the steady fall in sickness absence: “This is partly due to the fact that reducing sickness absence among UK workers has become a key public-policy imperative, with a number of high-profile government-led initiatives such as the health, work and wellbeing agenda and the national sickness absence review published last November.

“But the economic downturn may also have had an impact, although its effect on individual employees’ sickness absence patterns can be varied. Some people could have suffered increased stress-related illness in the face of increased work pressures, but there could also have been a rise in presenteeism with some workers fearful that any sickness absence could count against them if there are concerns about job security.”

Indeed, the TUC warned that, while employers are making improvements in the way they manage sickness absence, they should not try to force employees back to work before they are well.

A TUC spokesperson said: “The average number of days lost to workplace ill-health has been falling for over a decade as a result of employers better managing sickness absence and increased presenteeism, which has been made worse by rising job insecurity as a result of the recession.

“It is important that employers do not treat every instance of sickness absence as avoidable and potentially bogus. Good employers allow their staff to recover and support them when they are off, rather than forcing them back while they are still ill. This negative attitude can prolong illness, spread diseases and cause stress throughout the workplace.”

View the full findings of the absence rates survey on XpertHR.

XpertHR FAQs on sickness absence

  • How can employers reduce sickness absence levels?
  • How should employers manage short-term sickness absence on a day-to-day basis?
  • How can employers reduce the incidence of employees taking time off work on account of stress?
  • Where an employer wishes to reward employees for low sickness absence, what factors must it take into account?
  • If an employee works part of the day before going home sick, should this day count as sickness absence?
  • Are there any risks attached to asking job candidates about the number of days’ sickness absence they have had in the past year?

Avatar
Laura Chamberlain

previous post
HR moves: Waypoint Capital Holdings, APS Group, InMobi
next post
The death of the office – will flexible working be part of London’s Olympic legacy?

You may also like

Royal Mail strike: Union urges it to ‘get...

10 Aug 2022

Supporting non-binary and transgender staff: four key steps...

10 Aug 2022

Personnel Today Awards 2022 shortlist: Health and Wellbeing...

10 Aug 2022

Train conductor unfairly dismissed after ‘black privilege’ comment

10 Aug 2022

Nurses set to vote on strike over pay

9 Aug 2022

Former MP’s aide unfairly dismissed after whistleblowing

9 Aug 2022

Private spaces for focused work key to office...

9 Aug 2022

Top earners’ pay soars by 10% while lowest-paid...

8 Aug 2022

National Payroll Week: A compliance guide for SMEs...

8 Aug 2022

‘Pushy’ lawyer awarded £152k for sex discrimination

8 Aug 2022

  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+