£25bn presenteeism plague | Rising workplace sickness is costing UK economy billions every year, think tank warns

Rising workplace sickness is costing UK businesses billions every year, with an estimated £25bn being lost through presenteeism, according to a new think tank report.

New analysis from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) reveals the annual hidden cost of employee sickness has risen by £30 billion since 2018. 

Most of this increased cost, around £25 billion, is from lower productivity, with only £5 billion due to a rise in sick days.

Employees now lose the equivalent of 44 days’ productivity on average due to working through sickness, up from 35 days in 2018, and lose a further 6.7 days taking sick leave, up from 3.7 days in 2018.