Keep Britain Working | TfL joins government review to tackle sickness absence

Transport for London (TfL) has signed up to a government-backed review aimed at reducing sickness absence, as new figures highlight the scale of employee ill health across the organisation.

The move, first reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service on behalf of BBC News, will see TfL take part in the Keep Britain Working Review, with a particular focus on prevention and mental health support.

Sickness absence figures under scrutiny

A 2025 report found TfL’s overall sickness rate stood at 6.3%, equating to almost 418,885 sick days across the workforce. The data also revealed 6.6 million planned days off, covering pre-arranged medical leave.

Long-term sickness accounted for the majority of days lost, with 286,673 days recorded. The average length of sickness absence was 11.81 days.