Sick days have surged by 41% in the UK since 2021. Why has productivity stagnated?

Sick days are increasing at an alarming rate in the UK, with TotalJobs reporting a jump of 41% since 2021.

The job search platform surveyed 1,000 HR decision-makers nationwide for its Hiring Trends Index and found that workplace productivity is down on many accounts. Most leaders believe workplace culture and satisfaction rates play the most significant role.

The factors that business leaders believe have caused the decline in productivity are:

• Increased workload (30%)
• Difficulty attracting staff (24%)
• Reliance on temporary staff (23%)
• Decrease in morale (23%)
• Increase in absenteeism (23%)

Is flexible work the answer to boosting productivity?

Employees are looking for more flexible working options. A YouGov survey by Amazon earlier in the year revealed that half of workers would like greater flexibility from their employer. The e-commerce giant launched ‘term-time working’ in 2023 for its UK operations, where parents had greater options for working within the school term with no impact on their employee benefits.

TotalJobs also found that a better work-life balance was a clear solution to reducing productivity barriers. Participants also felt that boosting resources in employee training and development and improving communication from leadership would be valuable in resolving the productivity slump.

Other productivity challenges facing HR leaders

HR leaders also need help filling staff vacancies. A lack of suitable candidates and budget constraints have left recruiters struggling to fill much-needed roles that alleviate the workload burden of existing staff members.

While 89% of businesses in the UK are hiring new staff, the number of businesses increasing their recruitment activities has declined by one-third since the first quarter of the year.

Julius Probst, Labour Market Economist for Totaljobs, states, “The UK labour market has been loosening due to the decline in vacancy numbers and more joiners to the workforce. Meanwhile, the competition between candidates has increased, but businesses are still struggling to find skilled talent. With more people out of work due to sickness and sick leave numbers rising, it’s never been more vital for employers to create workplaces that support employee wellbeing.”

The dramatic shift in productivity and absenteeism over the past three years underscores significant challenges for UK businesses. As employees experience ever-increasing workloads, declining staff rates, and low morale, focusing on culture and employee well-being is key.

Employees are crying out for more flexible work conditions, better resources for their development and significant improvements in communication from their leadership. Many of these leaders are also tasked with resolving recruitment bottlenecks and tight budgets, creating a frustrating environment where managers don’t know which issue to tackle first. As Julius Probst highlights, investing in employee wellbeing is the essential first step in reducing absenteeism and restoring any workplace back to its peak productivity.