Sickness absence increased last year following the end of the furlough scheme official figures show.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the sickness absence rate in the UK in 2021 rose to 2.2%, from a record low of 1.8% in 2020; this is the highest it has been since 2010, when it was also 2.2%.
An estimated 149.3 million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in the UK in 2021, equivalent to 4.6 days per worker.
The most common reason for sickness absence in 2021 was “other” conditions, including accidents, poisonings, diabetes and coronavirus (COVID-19).
COVID-19 accounted for nearly one in four of all occurrences of sickness absence in 2021.
The groups with the highest rates of sickness absence in 2021 included women, older workers, those with long-term health conditions, people working part-time and people working in caring, leisure and other service occupations.
Source: Sickness absence in the UK labour market – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
