Workplace Absence Levels Hit Nearly Two Weeks Per Employee Per Year

A recent survey found that workplace absence levels have risen to nearly two working weeks per employee each year. For employers already juggling recruitment challenges, retention struggles, and shifting work patterns, higher absence rates bring further problems, such as loss in productivity and issues with employee wellbeing.

This article breaks down why absence levels are rising, how it is impacting organisations, and what practical steps employers can take to help identify and reduce absenteeism before it escalates.  

A recent report by the CIPD and Simplyhealth found that UK employees were off sick for almost 2 working weeks (9.4 days) per year. When comparing the findings of this study with those of previous years, it has significantly increased, being the highest in more than 15 years. Pre-pandemic, this figure was only 5.8 days and in 2023, 7.8 days

Causes of employee absence

When asked about the top 3 reasons for long-term and short-term absence within their organisation, the most common responses from employers were:

Top 3 causes of long-term absence

• Mental ill health (41%)
• Musculoskeletal injuries (31%)
• Other long-term health conditions (30%)

Top 3 causes of short-term absence

• Minor illnesses (cold/flu) (78%)
• Mental ill health (29%)
• Stress and caring responsibilities for children (both 26%)

The CIPD’s Health and wellbeing at work report 2025, found that the absence levels have risen significantly due to more working people facing long-term health conditions.

However, employee absence and absenteeism are rarely about a single cause. Many factors could influence the rising absence levels:

Health-related absences

Stress, burnout, and chronic conditions remain top drivers of long-term absence. In particular, mental health-related absences have become more visible as stigma decreases and reporting improves.

Impact of hybrid/remote working environments

Flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid and remote working, can blur the lines between work and rest. Without proper boundaries, employers may hit burnout quicker, leading to higher absence rates.

Post-pandemic effects

Long COVID, delayed medical treatments, and lifestyle changes from the pandemic continue to influence absence levels.

Cultural factors

In some organisations, burnout, disengagement, or a lack of workplace support can push workplace absence higher.

Impact of high workplace absence on businesses

High absence levels represent real operational costs. Lost productivity can quickly add up, especially in smaller teams where each absence can have a huge impact.

Cost

Every day of absence costs employers in wages, temporary cover, and lost output. The financial impact of this across the entire business annually is significant.

Team morale

Frequent absences can increase workload for remaining staff, leading to frustration, disengagement, and potentially burnout.

Customer experience

In client and customer-facing sectors, absenteeism can affect service levels and business reputation.

Strategies for employers to reduce absence

Improve health & wellbeing initiatives

• If possible, offer mental health support programs, such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or mindfulness initiatives.
• Have trained Mental Wellbeing First Aiders within your company to support your staff through mental health problems.
• Provide health screenings or wellness perks to encourage preventative care.

Work-life balance

• Flexible hours and hybrid working policies can reduce stress, but they must be well-managed.
• Encourage your employees to take their lunch breaks away from their desks and use their annual leave entitlement to rest, recharge, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Prompt employees to review their workloads to prevent burnout.

Early intervention and support

• Establish clear absence policies and communicate them effectively throughout your organisation.
• Conduct return-to-work meetings following every absence to catch underlying issues before they escalate to long-term absence.                                       
• Train managers on how to conduct return-to-work meetings in a supportive manner.
• Implement reasonable adjustments to help support an employee back to work.

Better absence management systems

• Use HR software to track, analyse, and intervene early.
• Log and track employee absence, helping to spot patterns and identify problems before they escalate further.

How our HR software can help

Investing in HR software can make it far easier to manage and even reduce employee absence. Not only does it help to record absence accurately, but it also empowers companies to use data strategically to manage employee absence.

Track absence patterns

• Log employee absence accurately, to spot patterns and mitigate issues before they escalate.
• An absence summary and breakdown on employee profiles, which is separate from holidays, allowing you to have full and clear visibility of absence within your company. Helping you spot any trends easily.

Absence automations

• Businesses will be able to nail absence management through the use of in-system triggers for managers to complete and collect important absence documents such as sick notes and return-to-work forms.
• Absences will be given an ‘open’ and ‘closed’ status, which will clearly show whether an absence is ongoing or over. Once ‘closed’, an automatic trigger will be sent to the relevant manager to complete a return-to-work with the employee.

Bradford factor calculation

• Automatic Bradford Factor calculation for all employees visible on their profiles.
• Helps to identify employees who are off regularly in short instances.
• Easily review employees’ Bradford Factor score and action any follow-ups needed to address problems.

Reporting

• Reports and analytics that help to highlight trends and recurring issues so that HR can act proactively to resolve.
• Build custom reports with filters such as department, leave type, and date ranges, providing the precise insights you need to manage your workforce absence effectively.

Absenteeism isn’t just a number. It shows how your team is really doing. By addressing the causes and providing managers with the right tools, companies can boost both employee wellbeing and performance.

The statistics included in this blog were taken from the CIPD’s Health and wellbeing at work report, supported by Simplyhealth – link here.

Book a demo to see how oneHR can help reduce absenteeism in your organisation.

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