According to new data from TotalJobs, sick leave in the UK has surged by 41% over the past three years, adding more pressure to declining productivity levels. The study points to rising absenteeism as a contributing factor to a “cycle of poor business performance,” impacting employees and employers.
In addition, the survey reveals that 59% of HR decision-makers attribute this increase in sick days to a deteriorating workplace culture and a decline in employee satisfaction. Additionally, more than half (55%) of HR leaders have observed an overall drop in performance, linking it to these underlying issues.
Lisa Seagroatt, founder of HR Fit for Purpose, emphasises that absenteeism is more than just a metric—it’s often a signal of deeper cultural issues within a business. Factors such as ineffective leadership, poor communication, and a “filling roles over finding the right people” approach can lead to high turnover and vacant roles, which increase strain on current staff.
The pandemic’s impact on productivity is also still evident. Seagroatt notes that while some employees have thrived with remote work, others experience disconnection from a lack of in-person interaction. This “disengagement” has led to rising concerns over mental health and overall satisfaction, with employees now expecting more support from their employers.
The study identified five primary contributors to declining productivity: increased workloads (30%), difficulty attracting talent (24%), reliance on temporary staff (23%), low morale (23%), and absenteeism (23%). These factors have led to high employee turnover, with stress, burnout, and other mental health issues cited as driving 25% of resignations over the past year.
HR teams are now implementing solutions to stem productivity losses, with key strategies including flexible working arrangements (28%), enhanced training and development (27%), and more robust communication from leadership (27%).
Amid ongoing hiring, UK businesses face challenges filling roles vacated by illness and lowered productivity. Over half (53%) of HR leaders cite shortages of qualified candidates and limited budgets as obstacles. Although 89% of companies are hiring, only 28% plan to increase recruitment in the coming quarter—down from 38% earlier this year. Demand is especially high for customer service skills (26%), technical abilities (25%), and soft skills (25%).