CIPD study | Staff absence levels soar to nearly 2 working weeks per employee each year

New research reveals that UK employees were off sick for nearly two full working weeks (9.4 days) on average in the last 12 months - a significant jump compared to pre-pandemic levels (5.8 days), and 7.8 days in 2023 when the same survey was last carried out. 

This key finding, from a survey of over 1,100 employers, highlights the urgent need for organisations to proactively address workforce health. This includes understanding the impact ill health - both mental and physical - can have on individuals, and creating cultures where people feel genuinely supported in the management of their health at work.  

There are also clear benefits for organisations such as reduced absence and improved employee engagement and performance, the research finds.  

The CIPD’s Health and wellbeing at work report 2025, supported by Simplyhealth, finds that absence levels have risen as more working adults face long-term health conditions. This is also reflected in the government’s Keep Britain Working review, which found that around 8.7 million people are now living with a work-limiting condition*.