Workplace absence levels rise due to long-term health conditions: CIPD

According to a survey of more than 1,100 employers, UK employees were off sick for nearly two full working weeks (9.4 days) on average in the last 12 months, which is up from 2023 (7.8 days) and pre-Covid-19 levels (5.8 days). The top reasons for long-term absence, classified as four weeks or more, in the workplace were: mental health, such as depression or anxiety (41%); musculoskeletal injuries, such as back pain (31%); other long-term health conditions, such as cancer (30%). This was followed by stress (28%) and acute medical conditions, such as stroke or heart attack (24%). As ...