29 September 2025
CIPD Wellbeing report finds sharp rise in sickness absence
CIPD and Simplyhealth have produced the 24th annual Health and Wellbeing report, based on a survey of over 1,100 HR professionals and managers.
Key findings are that sickness absence has risen sharply, up to 9.4 days per employee in 2024, from 7.8 in 2023 and 5.8 in 2022. Mental health is the top cause of long-term absence (41%) and second for short-term absence, while minor illnesses account for over three-quarters of short-term absences.
However, the report shows that more organisations are taking a strategic approach to wellbeing, with up to 57% having a wellbeing strategy and three quarters seeing wellbeing on leadership agendas. Only 12% of employers don’t take any action to support employee mental health at work.
36% of organisations with home working say sickness absence has decreased, with only 16% saying it has increased, and 33% say productivity has increased compared to 16% saying it has fallen as a result of homeworking.
Read the full Health and Wellbeing 2025 report.
Key findings are that sickness absence has risen sharply, up to 9.4 days per employee in 2024, from 7.8 in 2023 and 5.8 in 2022. Mental health is the top cause of long-term absence (41%) and second for short-term absence, while minor illnesses account for over three-quarters of short-term absences.
However, the report shows that more organisations are taking a strategic approach to wellbeing, with up to 57% having a wellbeing strategy and three quarters seeing wellbeing on leadership agendas. Only 12% of employers don’t take any action to support employee mental health at work.
36% of organisations with home working say sickness absence has decreased, with only 16% saying it has increased, and 33% say productivity has increased compared to 16% saying it has fallen as a result of homeworking.
Read the full Health and Wellbeing 2025 report.
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