As many people across Wales return to the grind after summer, a new report reveals sickness absence in the workplace is climbing at an alarming rate.
According to the CIPD’s latest Health and Wellbeing at Work report, employees are now taking an average of 9.4 days off each year. This is a sharp increase from 7.8 days in 2023 and 5.8 in 2022 – a near doubling of absence in just three years.
The findings come at a time when more organisations than ever are adopting wellbeing strategies. Some 57% now have a formal wellbeing plan in place, up from 44% only a few years ago.
However, 43% of businesses still lack a structured approach. Despite this, workloads continue to be the main driver of stress-related absence. Pressures to meet deadlines and management style are cited as key factors, raising questions about why sickness rates are worsening even with more wellbeing measures in place.
Leanne Bird of KUDU People & Workplace Consultancy said: “Too often, wellbeing is treated like sprinkles on top of a cupcake – perks, workshops and apps – without baking the base properly. Until the foundations are right, the sprinkles won’t stick. Those foundations include embedding values, designing work well, supporting managers, and ensuring workloads are manageable.
“If employers really want to tackle the rise in absence, they need to go beyond perks and address the root causes. Getting the basics right makes wellbeing strategies more effective and creates real impact for both people and business.”
As autumn settles in and employees readjust after summer, the figures highlight the urgent need for organisations to rethink their approach to staff wellbeing and workplace culture.
