UK workplaces are facing a silent crisis. A new survey from the CIPD and Simplyhealth reveals that the average employee took 9.4 sick days in the past year – nearly two full working weeks. That’s a 62% increase on pre-pandemic levels, when the average was just 5.8 days. It’s the highest rate of sickness absence in over a decade, and it’s raising serious questions about how businesses are supporting their people.
What’s driving the rise?
So why are UK workers calling in sick like never before? The data points to a few clear culprits:
- Mental health pressures: Long-term absences are most often linked to conditions such as anxiety and depression, cited by 41% of employers. Stress-related illness is also on the rise.
- Minor illness still common: Colds and flu remain the biggest cause of short-term absences, but the surge in overall sick leave points to deeper issues in workforce health.
- Cultural shift: Pre-2020, many employees would have “powered through” sickness. Today, more workers are taking time off for health, including mental health, signalling a change in expectations.
What’s management got to do with it?
A lot, it turns out. While the survey shows that three-quarters of HR leaders now put employee wellbeing on the boardroom agenda, a sharp rise from five years ago, many organisations remain reactive, offering counselling services or phased return-to-work options without tackling the root causes of burnout.
This is a leadership issue. Absence figures at this scale aren’t just about flu season – they are flashing warning lights on culture, management, and workload. Businesses that cling to “tough it out” attitudes risk higher absence, lower performance, and ultimately higher turnover.
The organisations making headway are the ones where leadership actively invests in wellbeing: training managers to spot burnout, redesigning jobs to ease chronic stress, and creating flexibility that prevents small health problems from snowballing.
From presenteeism to prevention
The rise in sick leave highlights a shift from presenteeism to a more open acknowledgment of health needs. That’s positive – but unless leaders get proactive, the costs will mount. What makes the difference?
- Training managers to spot burnout and support mental health.
- Reviewing workloads to prevent chronic stress.
- Creating flexibility through hours and job design.
- Normalising wellbeing conversations, so employees feel supported, not stigmatised.
Turning insight into action
Sustainable wellbeing means rethinking how people are managed day-to-day. With regulators increasingly focusing on mental health as part of workplace health and safety, there’s also a compliance dimension. Proactive employers will be ahead of the curve.
VinciWorks’ collection of mental health courses raises awareness and equips managers and employees with essential tools to foster a supportive environment, which helps boost productivity and morale while reducing absenteeism.
In addition, our guide Mental Health and Psychological Safety: A Guide to Wellbeing and Compliance equips leadership teams with the strategic insight needed to build resilient, compliant, and high-performing workplaces.
