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Mental Health Absences Drive U.K. Sick Leave Costs Up 31%

Mental Health Absences Drive U.K. Sick Leave Costs Up 31%

Poor mental health was the leading cause of British workers taking off work for illness in 2021, costing employers an estimated 43 billion pounds ($56.9 billion).

That’s according to data from GoodShape, which manages workplace absences for companies and has a database of 750,000 employee records. GoodShape estimated that the cost of sick leave to employers rose by 31% from before the pandemic, not accounting for the cost of hiring and training replacement staff.

Mental ill health accounted for 19% of all lost working time in the U.K. up to Nov. 28, slightly more than confirmed cases of Covid-19. That was the case across every industry except transport and logistics, consumer and retail, and workplace services. 

Mental Health Absences Drive U.K. Sick Leave Costs Up 31%

GoodShape combined its data with official population and wage statistics to extrapolate nationwide figures, estimating that the total number of working days lost through absence increased to 319 million in 2021, compared to 250 million in 2019. That meant days lost to mental health absences also rose, by 5% overall, compared to before the pandemic.

The findings come as the rapid spread of the omicron variant means U.K. workers face the prospect of a renewed period of working from home. Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked Britons to work from home starting today if possible as part of a new round of restrictions. 

Mental Health Absences Drive U.K. Sick Leave Costs Up 31%

The GoodShape data also show that more than half of workers who took two or more mental health-related absences went on to leave their jobs.

Research into working from home and mental health, published in July by NatCen, Britain’s largest social research foundation, found that remote workers who live alone reported significant increases in mental distress at the start of the pandemic.

“The pandemic has meant that across all industries, more is being expected of people and budgets,” said Alun Baker, GoodShape’s chief executive officer. “The good news, though, is that the business community is realizing that performance is inextricably linked with wellbeing and insight.”

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.