Rising Sickness Absence in the UK: Why Workforce Health is a Growth Issue
UK employees are taking nearly two full working weeks off sick each year (9.4 days on average), according to the CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work 2025 report, supported by Simplyhealth. This is a sharp rise compared with 5.8 days pre-pandemic and 7.8 days in 2023.
The findings, drawn from a survey of more than 1,100 employers, underline a pressing challenge: sickness absence is climbing, driven by both mental and physical ill health, and organisations are struggling to keep pace.
What’s Driving Absence?
Employers report that the leading causes of long-term absence (four weeks or more) include:
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Mental ill health such as depression or anxiety (41%)
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Musculoskeletal problems such as back pain (31%)
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Other long-term conditions, including cancer (30%) For short-term absence (up to four weeks), the main factors are:
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Minor illnesses such as colds and flu (78%)
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Mental ill health (29%)
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Stress and caring responsibilities (26%) These figures align with the government’s Keep Britain Working review, which shows 8.7 million people are now living with a work-limiting condition.
Beyond the Workplace: A Growth Challenge
Sickness absence is often viewed as an HR issue. In reality, it’s an economic challenge with national implications.
When more people are out of work, productivity falls, tax revenues decline, and demand on health and welfare systems rises. This creates a double bind for government: higher spending combined with reduced income.
In economic terms, poor workforce health constrains fiscal space—limiting the government’s ability to borrow and invest in growth-driving areas such as infrastructure, innovation, and education.
Workforce wellbeing, therefore, isn’t just about reducing absence. It is a critical driver of economic resilience and long-term prosperity.
From Reactive to Proactive
The survey shows that while organisations increasingly recognise the value of employee wellbeing—74% of senior leaders now see it as a priority, up from 61% in 2020—most action remains reactive.
Common measures include counselling services, employee assistance programmes, and phased returns. These are valuable, but they often come into play after health has already broken down.
Proactive strategies—such as training managers to spot early signs of ill health, redesigning jobs to reduce health risks, and embedding flexible, supportive work practices—are still far less common. Yet these are the very interventions that prevent conditions from escalating into long-term absence.
WHIS Perspective: Health as the Foundation of Growth
Gareth Presch, CEO of the World Health Innovation Summit, commented:
“The rising levels of sickness absence show us that the health of our workforce can no longer be treated as an afterthought. Prevention must be at the heart of workplace strategies. By investing in health and wellbeing—whether through flexible working, accessible support, or creating a culture that values wellbeing—we not only reduce absence but build healthier, more resilient organisations and communities. This is also an economic issue—healthier people drive productivity, support sustainable growth, and create the fiscal room for governments to invest in the future.”
The Path Forward
The data makes the case for a shift in mindset: from treating health as a cost to recognising it as an investment in growth. Employers, policymakers, and health innovators must work together to:
- Embed prevention into workplace culture, focusing on early support and sustainable health practices.
- Target leading risks—mental ill health, musculoskeletal issues, and minor illnesses—with practical, accessible interventions.
- Empower managers with training to support their teams proactively.
- Align health strategies with economic policy, recognising the link between workforce wellbeing, productivity, and fiscal resilience. At WHIS, we believe healthier workforces are the foundation of stronger economies and thriving societies. If the UK is to unlock growth, reduce inequalities, and create sustainable communities, investing in health and wellbeing at work must become a national priority.
Join the WHIS at Work Movement
Through our WHIS at Work programmes, we help organisations embed prevention-first strategies that improve wellbeing, reduce absence, and unlock performance. By working with employers, local leaders, and policymakers, we’re building healthier workplaces that contribute to both economic growth and thriving communities.
👉 To learn more about how WHIS at Work can support your organisation, connect with us today.