{"id":34973,"date":"2023-10-16T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbd8750d-94b8-43fd-b83e-bedc2c3eb595"},"modified":"2023-10-16T06:46:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T04:46:12","slug":"were-taking-more-sick-days-than-ever-heres-whats-really-happening","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/were-taking-more-sick-days-than-ever-heres-whats-really-happening\/","title":{"rendered":"We\u2019re taking more sick days than ever. Here\u2019s what\u2019s really happening"},"content":{"rendered":"

The average UK employee now takes around eight sick days a year. <\/p>

By Hayley Bennett\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 16 October 2023 at 04:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

New figures suggest the number of sick leave days taken by UK workers is at its highest level in 15 years. Does this mean we\u2019re in poorer health and, if so, what\u2019s keeping us away from the workplace? <\/p>

A couple of years ago, COVID would have been the obvious culprit, but is it still to blame? And what can we do to keep people working? Well, the devil’s in the data \u2013 if you know where to look.<\/p>

Here’s what you need to know.<\/p>

Are we really taking more days than ever?<\/strong><\/h2>

The worrying new numbers originate from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), an indepdent non-profit human organisation \u2013 which has been reporting on sickness at work for over 23 years.<\/p>

Figures from their latest report were collected from the human resources (HR) departments of 918 organisations and cover a total of 6.5 million UK workers. They show that the average employee took just under eight days of sick leave in the past year<\/a> \u2013 two more than pre-pandemic in 2019 and more than in any year since 2008.<\/p>

The Office of National Statistics (ONS), however, puts the average number of sick days closer to six<\/a>, drawing from telephone surveys of 100,000 people. But the ONS data also shows a sharp rise in sick leave compared to pre-pandemic years.<\/p>

Rachel Suff<\/a>, Senior Policy Adviser at the CIPD, says looking at both sets of data can provide a more nuanced picture, though she notes that the CIPD figures cover a \u201csignificant section” of the UK workforce.<\/p>

Asked if the figures mean we\u2019re actually getting sicker, Parth Patel<\/a>, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, told BBC Science Focus<\/em>: \u201cIt\u2019s certainly a barometer for something not being quite right in our society.\u201d<\/p>

Broadly, he adds, there are two explanations: either there really is more sickness, or for some reason people are now more likely to take sick leave than they were before.<\/p>

If anything, though, the CIPD figures seem to underestimate sickness rates, as levels of presenteeism (working while you\u2019re sick) are also up. Plus, they only consider workers outside of the workplace, a record number of people \u2013 over 2.5 million \u2013 are now economically inactive<\/a> due to long-term illness, according to ONS.<\/p>

What\u2019s keeping us away from the workplace?<\/strong><\/h2>

ONS data for 2022 shows \u2018minor illnesses\u2019 have risen substantially in the past year, although they are only now returning to pre-pandemic levels. <\/p>

So-called \u2018other\u2019 reasons for being off work \u2013 which include COVID, plus accidents, poisonings and respiratory conditions \u2013 are also much higher than in 2019.<\/p>

The CIPD data, however, tells a slightly more complex story by breaking down the reasons for sick leave into short- and long-term illness and asking companies to report the top three reasons in each category.<\/p>

Looked at in this light, the data reveals the increasing impact of mental health issues in the workplace, with 63 per cent of organisations listing mental health in their top three reasons for illness lasting longer than a month, and 37 per cent listing stress.<\/p>

\u201cMental health has been an increasing cause for concern for many years,\u201d says Suff. “But the last three years have been really challenging for people.\u201d<\/p>

She cites the long tail of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis as factors affecting people\u2019s wellbeing, but points to data from the report suggesting that heavy workload is the reason most often given for stress-related absence.<\/p>

Trying to tease out how COVID plays into all of this is by no means straightforward, partly due to low levels of testing at the moment. Whilst the CIPD data includes a separate category for the virus, it could easily be mistaken for other minor illnesses such as colds or flu, which are listed by 94 per cent of organisations as a main cause of short-term illness.<\/p>

Any long-term impacts of COVID are even harder to decipher. But, according to Patel, it\u2019s unreasonable to think that the big spike in sick leave is all due to COVID. \u201cI think that\u2019s obviously not true,\u201d he said.<\/p>

So, what needs to change?<\/strong><\/h2>

According to Suff, it\u2019s crucial that organisations get a better handle on what\u2019s causing sickness absences, not just in the general population, but among their own staff.<\/p>

\u201cThe pandemic and mental health \u2013 they\u2019re all part of the bigger picture,\u201d she says. \u201cBut you\u2019ve got to drill down into what\u2019s going on in your organisation, look at all the data and then see what you can do to support people better.\u201d<\/p>

About our experts<\/strong><\/h2>

Rachel Suff<\/strong> leads the CIPD\u2019s public policy work for employment relations and health and wellbeing. She leads the CIPD\u2019s annual Health and wellbeing at work survey report and represents the CIPD on key Government and external advisory groups, such as the Work and Health Unit Employer Engagement Forum.<\/p>

Parth Patel<\/strong> leads the IPPR’s work on democracy and politics, where he studies the sway of underpowered communities over the course of public policy, the\u00a0contours\u00a0of social democracy in the 21st\u00a0century\u00a0and policies to reduce health inequality.<\/p>

Read more about work:<\/strong><\/p>