Managing Sickness Absence in the Workplace
It's no secret that sickness absence rates across UK workplaces are rising. This has only been exemplified by recent findings in the Keep Britain Working Report and new changes to Statutory Sick Pay under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Many organisations look to plug immediate issues one at a time. This often leads to overlooking the root causes of employee sickness absence, preventing the opportunity for an effective, long-term solution. It’s time to look at the bigger picture and address the wider issues to better manage staff sickness and improve overall wellbeing.
Understanding sickness absence in the UK
In short, sickness absence is defined as a person’s workplace absence as the result of an illness, injury or a recognised health condition. These are unplanned instances of leave and come in various forms, brought on by a variety of causes. Sickness absence is a key indicator of productivity loss and workplace wellbeing, as reduced staffing can disrupt operations and limit organisational capacity. These instances are a fact of working life and cannot be eliminated entirely. However, the frequency and impact they can occur at can be minimised.
To manage the impact, organisations and their leadership teams need to fully understand sickness absence. Firstly, it needs to be made clear what a short-term and long-term absence is:
• Short-term absence = Absences typically lasting under 28 days
• Long-term absence = Absences which last over 28 days
It is important to recognise that the causes behind each type of absence often differ. Short-term absence may be linked to minor illnesses or life circumstances, whereas long-term sickness absence is more commonly associated with chronic physical conditions, workplace stress, or mental health challenges.
The impact of sickness absence on businesses
The impact of workplace sickness absence is widespread and felt across an organisation. The Keep Britain Working review found that poor workplace health and sickness absence is costing UK organisations approximately £57 billion each year in SSP with sickness absence averaging around 9.4 days per employee, this suggests SSP costs will only continue to increase.
Beyond the direct costs, the impact on service disruptions, workforce culture, engagement and commitment can carry huge impacts along with them. Over time, absences can impact delivery and project timelines, particularly for organisations operating with limited capacity or tight deadlines.
This may seem like a temporary issue in the moment, but the higher the frequency, the more negative the repercussion on things such as reputation and stakeholder trust. This is without even mentioning the impact on an individual level as staff sickness can place sustained pressure on teams, contributing to higher levels of stress and burnout on those present. Workforce sickness absence is cyclical and creates further issues that begin to feel impossible to manage.
Key causes of employee sickness absence
There is no blanket cause for sickness absence. The primary types that management teams need to be vigilant of are long and short-term absences, both of which have their own leading causes and telltale signs.
Short-term sickness absence
Minor illnesses
In the case of minor illnesses such as colds or flu, organisations can feel as though there is no solution. Accounting for 78% of short-term absences, it is a challenge, but it can be partly addressed through certain tools such as access to a virtual GP.
Mental health short-term sickness
Mental ill health, such as depression or anxiety and stress/caring responsibilities for children are the second leading cause of short-term sickness absence. These are issues that management teams can support with and reduce the impact of. The issue can be lessened by providing access to dedicated mental health support through an Employee Assistance Programme or occupational health assessments to review stress hazards.
Common challenges of managing sickness absence
Challenges around the topic of managing absences do not stem from a lack of intent, but from gaps in consistency, capability and communication. To overcome this, absence management policies need to not only clearly defined, supported by guidance and oversight from HR teams and possibly occupational health teams.
Existing stigmas and a poor culture of wellbeing
It may not always be tangible, but poor communication and a culture of reluctance to be open about issues can lead to mental health stigma in the workplace and possibly lead to more sickness absence across the workforce. When people do not feel comfortable discussing their health, or are unclear on procedures, it is very easy for them to disengage from work.
Sickness absence management: best practices
What measures can leadership teams put in place to better manage absences? A one-size fits all approaches cannot be expected to work all sickness absences, therefore a balance between clear process and a people-first approach is needed.
Absence management policies
Well-defined absence management policy provides a consistent framework for managing sickness absence. It should clearly outline reporting procedures, expectations for employees and guidance for managers, including when absence reviews are triggered and how return-to-work processes should be handled. This isn’t simply an automated process or tool that is reactive to an absence. To manage sickness absence to the highest degree, early intervention is key. By encouraging regular check-ins and the skillset to spot, manage and report on issues, it enables action before issues worsen.
Equipping management teams with the skills to spot the signs, train others and signpost support requires training. Tools such as Mental Health First Aid training courses, management support and HR advice lines can be incredibly useful to effectively implement a reliable wellbeing policy. With proper training and guidance, senior managers are more prepared to open up difficult conversations and provide effective support to those who may be in need.
Virtual GP access
It is impossible to eliminate certain absences. But there are tools and systems that can help minimise the frequency and impact of sickness absence due to physical health.
A key support system is access to a Virtual GP service. Many people who are dealing with health-related issues often can’t access support or guidance due to wait times and delays. Currently, NHS waiting lists for hospital treatment stand at approximately 7.1 million cases, with 36% of people spending over four hours in major A&E. This alone prevents people from seeking diagnosis or support.
Using virtual GP services, employees can speak to a qualified GP, often on the same day, without needing to travel or take extended time away from work. This immediate access allows health concerns to be addressed earlier and enables a more effective solution. It also supports organisations against presenteeism, with proper guidance needed for recovery, rather than persisting to work when ill and performances declining.
Health and wellbeing resources
Giving people access to resources such as healthy recipes and exercise routines through the Wisdom app makes mental and physical concerns more manageable, as they have more knowledge and tools to handle them. When they have more knowledge to overcome and address physical wellbeing concerns, people will naturally become more resilient.
Measuring and monitoring sickness absence
Once sickness and absence management measures are in place, the work doesn’t simply stop there. Monitoring sickness rates becomes important to spot trends and address concerns. Here are just some simple ways effective absence tracking can be achieved:
The Bradford Factor
One of the most widely used measures is the overall absence rate, which provides a clear indication of the proportion of working time lost due to sickness. The Bradford Factor is another commonly used tool, particularly for identifying patterns of short-term absence. By placing greater emphasis on frequent, short absences, it helps highlight potential issues that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Using data to inform strategy
Collecting data is only the first step. The real value comes from using that data to inform strategy and drive improvement. By identifying absence trends over time, organisations can better understand the underlying causes of absence and where intervention may be needed.
For example, an increase in long-term sickness absence may indicate issues relating to workload, stress or organisational change. Comparing absence data across departments or teams can also highlight areas where additional support or training may be required. Differences in absence levels are often linked to management style, team culture or job design. As well as this, organisations should also consider the cost per absence. This goes beyond simple salary calculations and includes factors such as lost productivity, management time and the impact on team performance.
How can HA | Wisdom Wellbeing help with sickness and absence management?
HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is clinically accredited and designed to reduce the risks of workplace stress and poor mental health, helping to prevent higher costs, prolonged absences and operational disruption. Through access to the EAP, people have access to 24/7 support from qualified counsellors 365-days a year.
Through short-term, solution-focused guidance, counsellors support employees struggling with a wellbeing issue to a quicker recovery and return to work sooner. Alongside this, HR advice lines and management support give leaders the confidence to handle sensitive conversations, ensure compliance and make informed decisions around reasonable adjustments.
Where needed, occupational health assessments offer clarity on an employee’s fitness for work, restrictions and expected return timelines, while virtual GP access helps reduce delays in diagnosis, treatment and fit note discussions.
The result is a more joined-up approach to managing sickness absence; one that not only reduces the frequency and duration of mental health-related absences, but also strengthens internal processes, supports compliance and fosters a healthier, more resilient workplace culture.
Conclusion
Sickness absence shouldn’t only be treated as a, a wider organisational challenge that impacts productivity, culture and long-term performance, it needs to be viewed through the lens of personal impact on individuals. Taking a reactive approach does not support your organisation and it simultaneously fails to safeguard your people.
Clear and consistent absence management practices and tools seamlessly feed into sickness absence management, prevention and support to break the cycle of recurring, cyclical issues. Ultimately, organisations that prioritise people’s health will not only reduce staff sickness and absence but also build a more resilient, engaged and productive workforce, better positioned for the future.
Your health and wellbeing is paramount. We are therefore proud to offer access to an Individual Assistance Programme (IAP), delivered by Health Assured – the UK and Ireland’s leading wellbeing provider. Health Assured is included in Club Perks for all Business and Individual Memberships from as little as £5 per month with Individual Membership. For more information visit Health Assured - Key Partner | Floristry Trade Club.
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