Sickness Absence Rates At Highest Level Since 2004
New research just published by the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) has found that sickness absence rates are at their highest since 2004.
The research found the following:-
- The overall sickness absence rate in the UK increased by 0.7% from 1.9% in 2019 to 2.6% in 2022, the highest rate since 2004 (2.7%). The rate represents an increase of 0.4% compared to 2021, when the rate was 2.2%. The rate of 2.6% equates to 185.6 million days lost due to sickness, an increase of 47.4 million since 2019. On average, workers took 6 days off work per annum in 2022, compared to 4.2 days in 2019
- Whilst England had the lowest sickness absence rates in 2022 (2.5%), Wales had the highest (3.6%). Meanwhile, Scotland recorded a rate of 3% and Northern Ireland 2.7%
- As we highlighted in a previous article, the sickness absence rate amongst public sector workers is higher when compared to the private sector. The UUEPC research found that whilst the sickness absence rate was 3.6% in the public sector in 2022, it was 2.3% in the private sector. Moreover, the rate has increased in the public sector by 0.8% since 2019 (2.8%). Whilst the rate has also increased in the private sector during the same period, the increase has been smaller (by 0.6% from 1.7%)
- In terms of sick days lost, the biggest single cause (26%) relates to "accidents, poisonings, infectious diseases, skin disorders, diabetes". Minor ailments, such as coughs and colds, made up 24%.
- The sector of the economy with the highest levels of sickness absence in 2022 was health and social work (4.2%), which is up 1.3% since 2019 (2.9%). The sector with the lowest rate was information and communication (1.4%), up just 0.1% between 2019 (1.3%) and 2022.
- Only just over half of all employers (60%) provide their managers with any training on how to handle short-term absence from work
- In 2021, 34% of all workers engaged in presenteeism at some point in the prior 12 months
- Those who work from home have the lowest sickness absence rates
In terms of the reasons for the large increase in sickness absence since 2004, and particularly since 2019, the report attributes it to a marked increase in the level of long term ill-health and an ageing population.
Commenting upon the findings, the senior economist at UUEPC, Gillian Martin, stated that long term ill-health "coupled with...[a]...growing and ageing population, suggest that sickness and therefore absences are likely to be a lingering issue and so it is important that firms and managers are supported and encouraged to act to reduce the negative impacts....[Ill-health] can result in negative personal, business and economic impacts through reduced wellbeing, lost wages, output and productivity."
Martin added: "Smaller firms are more adversely impacted as they lack resources such as occupational health, human resources and are more likely to be unable to afford temporary staff which creates extra workload for other staff. They are also less likely to be able to pay above Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) so employees are less likely to take time off which may result in employees going to work ill and working at a reduced capacity."
Workers Less Productive During Winter, In Part Due To Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
New research by Toughened Glass Systems has found that more than two-thirds of workers believe that they are less productive and less creative during the winter months, whilst half are of the view that they have less energy during this period.
Whilst cold weather and greater levels of illness are contributory factors, a fifth of workers attribute it to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is caused by the shorter days and the reduced levels of sunlight / natural light during winter. It is dubbed "winter depression", as those who suffer from the condition have higher levels of depression on account of the condition during winter.
Commenting upon the findings, the rerport states: "a lack of natural daylight is a fundamental reason for productivity dips due to our brain associating darkness with sleep and reducing energy levels...Whilst increasing natural light is key, it’s not always possible during the gloomy winter months when daylight is limited. However, replicating natural light can provide the same benefits, such as using light bulbs that mimic daylight rather than filling the room with harsh and dull lighting....Although going outdoors during the winter is not always pleasant, it’s important to get outdoors as often as you can. Stepping away from work and taking small breaks can help to refocus and re-energise your brain."
