UK Sickness Absence Is Rising

SSP From Day 1 Will Raise the Stakes

The CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work 2025 Report (based on feedback from 1,101 HR and people leaders) shows a clear trend: sickness absence is continuing to rise across the UK, with mental health and stress now driving much of the impact.

Key findings from CIPD 2025

UK employees now average 9.4 sick days per year, equating to 4.1% of working time lost. Long-term absence is also increasing, with 1 in 13 employees experiencing long-term sickness — the highest level since the 1990s.

What’s causing absence in 2025?

The biggest contributors are:

• Mental health (now the top cause of long-term absence)
• Workload-related stress
• Musculoskeletal issues and minor illness
  These are often made worse by wider personal pressures such as finances and caring responsibilities.

Homeworking & presenteeism

Homeworking may reduce reported absence, but the report highlights a rise in presenteeism — employees working while unwell. This is especially risky for mental health, as warning signs are harder to spot remotely.

Impact on employers

Rising absence leads to:

• extra pressure on colleagues
• reduced productivity and service delays
• more reliance on temporary cover
• greater cost and fatigue across teams

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New legal change: SSP is expected to be paid from Day 1

Upcoming UK reforms (April 2026) are expected to introduce SSP from the first day of sickness, and extend eligibility by removing the Lower Earnings Limit, meaning more employees will qualify.

This makes it even more important for employers to manage absence consistently and support employees early.

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What employers should prioritise now

To reduce absence and protect performance, organisations should focus on:

• stronger absence management processes
• early intervention and wellbeing support
• manager training to spot stress and burnout
• smarter use of people data to identify trends
• flexible working options where possible

For hands-on support and advice, contact the Breathing Space team.