The employee absence remains one of the most persistent and cost challenges facing UK employers today, affecting organisations across all sectors, job roles, and workforce sizes. From short-term sickness and stress-related absence to long-term health conditions and burnout, time away from work continues to disrupt productivity, strain teams, and place increasing pressure on managers and business leaders. Yet despite its widespread impact, absence is still too often viewed as an unavoidable part of working life, something to be managed after it occurs, rather than prevented in the first place.
Growing evidence suggests this reactive approach is no longer effective. Many of the most common causes of sickness, absence, including mental health concerns, musculoskeletal conditions, fatigue, and work-related stress, are strongly influenced by workplace factors and can be reduced through earlier intervention and better health support. When employee health is not prioritised, organisations are most likely to see recurring absence, prolonged recovery times, and reduced performance, even among those who remain at work.
Research consistently demonstrates a clear and measurable link between employee health and productivity. Organisations that invest in structured workplace well-being initiatives and occupational health support not only report lower sickness absence rates but also experience higher levels of engagement, more consistency in performance, and greater workforce stability. Employees who feel supported in their health are more likely to stay in work, recover faster when issues arise, and contribute effectively over the long term.
In this blog, you will explore why prioritising employee health reduces absence and increases productivity, drawing on UK workforce data, public health research, and occupational health best practice. We will examine the real drivers behind absence, the hidden impact of poor health on performance, and how proactive health strategies help organisations protect both their people and their productivity.
Topics Covered:
- The Scale of Employee Absence in the UK
- The Direct Link Between Employee Health and Productivity
- Presenteeism: The Hidden Productivity Loss
- Mental Health as a Key Driver of Absence and Productivity Loss
- Physical Health, Musculoskeletal Disorders, and Absence
- The Strategic Role of Occupational Health
- Early Intervention and Absence Prevention
- Workplace Well-being as an Organisational Responsibility
- How Healthscreen UK Supports Employee Health and Productivity
- Long-Term Business Benefits of Prioritising Employee Health
- FAQs
The Scale of Employee Absence in the UK
Employee sickness absence represents a substantial and ongoing economic and operational burden for UK employers, with consequences that extend beyond the loss of individual working days. Absence affects productivity, service continuity, team morale, and management capacity, often creating knock-on effects across entire organisations.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK workers lost 185.6 million working days due to sickness or injury in 2022. This equates to an average of 5.7 days of worker per year, highlighting how widespread sickness absence has become across the national workforce. The data also shows that absence rates are not evenly distributed. The highest levels of sickness absence were recorded in the public administration, education, and healthcare sectors, where workload intensity, emotional labour and staffing pressures are particularly high. While short-term absence is often linked to minor, self-limiting illnesses, the ONS data indicates that a significant proportion of working days lost is due to health conditions influenced by workplace factors that could be better managed through early intervention and health support. The most commonly reported causes of sickness absence include:
- Most illnesses, such as cold, flu, and viral infections.
- Musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain, neck pain, and repetitive strain injuries.
- Mental health conditions, particularly stress, anxiety, and depression.
Although minor illnesses account for a large number of short absences, mental health and musculoskeletal conditions are far more likely to result in longer periods away from work. These conditions also have a higher risk of recurrence when underlying causes, such as workload pressure, poor ergonomics, or lack of support, are not addressed.
Importantly, sickness absence rarely exists in isolation. Repeated short-term absences, prolonged recovery periods, and patterns of recurring illness often signal wider issues within the workplace. High workload demands, limited control over work, insufficient management support, and delayed access to occupational health advice all contribute to increased absence risk.
Evidence increasingly shows that when employee health concerns are not identified and addressed early, short-term absence can escalate into long-term absence, creating greater disruption for both employees and employers. In contrast, organisations that prioritise workforce health, monitor absence trends, and intervene early are better positioned to reduce absence duration, prevent recurrence, and maintain productivity.
This makes employee absence not just a health issue, but a strategic business issue, one that requires proactive management rather than a reactive response.
The Direct Link Between Employee Health and Productivity
Productivity is often discussed in terms of outputs, targets, efficiency, and time spent at work. However, productivity is fundamentally human. It depends on an employee’s physical capacity, mental clarity, emotional resilience, and motivation; all of which are closely linked to health and well-being. When these factors are compromised, performance suffers, regardless of systems, technology, or processes in place.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) consistently highlights the strong relationship between employee health and sustained productivity. Employees in good physical and mental health are more likely to maintain consistent performance, engage positively with colleagues and managers, and adapt to changing workloads, and remain in employment for longer. These factors are particularly important in modern workplaces, where collaboration, concentration, and decision-making are critical to overall performance.
CIPD research also shows that poor employee health leads to reduced concentration, slower task completion, and increased error rates. Employees experiencing stress, fatigue, or physical discomfort often struggle to maintain focus and efficiency, leading to lower-quality output and increased pressure on colleagues and managers. Over time, this contributes to inconsistent performance and reduced organisational productivity.
Importantly, productivity loss is not limited to periods of sickness absence. Many employees continue working while unwell, a phenomenon known as presenteeism. While less visible than absence, presenteeism can have a significant impact on performance, as employees are physically present but unable to operate at their usual capacity. This evidence reinforces a key message for employers: investing in employee health is not a cost centre or optional benefit. It is a practical, evidence-based productivity strategy that supports sustained performance, reduces inefficiencies, and strengthens workforce resilience over the long term.
Presenteeism is the Hidden Productivity Loss
While sickness absence is visible and easily measured, presenteeism often goes unnoticed despite having a greater long-term impact on productivity. Presenteeism occurs when employees continue working while unwell, stressed, or fatigued, operating below their normal capacity.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), presenteeism costs UK employers more in lost productivity than sickness absence itself. Employees who work while unwell are more likely to make errors, recover more slowly, and experience declining physical or mental health over time. This increases the risk of minor health issues developing into chronic conditions and ultimately, long-term absence.
Presenteeism is closely linked to workplace culture; environments that discourage taking sick leave, normalise excessive workloads, or lack psychological safety, unintentionally push employees to remain at work when they should be recovering. While this may appear to reduce short-term absence, it often results in reduced performance, higher error rates, and increased absence in the longer term. By prioritising employee health and encouraging early support, organisations can identify health concerns sooner, reduce presenteeism, and prevent avoidable future absence, protecting both employee wellbeing and productivity.
Mental Health as a Key Driver of Absence and Productivity Loss
Mental health is now one of the leading causes of long-term sickness absence in the UK, with a growing impact on both employee wellbeing and organisational productivity. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2022/23, work-related stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for 49% of all work-related ill health cases and 54% of all working days lost due to ill health. This highlights the scale of mental health challenges within the UK workforce and the significant disruption they cause to business operations.
Poor mental health affects productivity in multiple, interconnected ways. Employees experiencing stress or emotional exhaustion often struggle to maintain focus and make decisions, resulting in slower task completion and lower work quality. Fatigue and low resilience increase the likelihood of errors and accidents, while withdrawal from teamwork and communication can undermine collaboration and service delivery. Over time, these issues place additional pressure on colleagues and managers, further reducing overall performance.
Crucially, mental health-related absence rarely appears suddenly or without warning. In many cases, it develops gradually through sustained stress, excessive workload, or lack of support. When early signs are overlooked, short-term stress-related absence can escalate into prolonged or recurring absence, making recovery and return to work more difficult. Proactive mental well-being support, supported by occupational health input, plays a vital role in reducing this risk. Early intervention helps identify underlying issues, enables appropriate adjustments, and supports employees before problems become entrenched. For employers, this approach not only protects employee health but also helps maintain productivity, reduce long-term absence, and build a more resilient workforce.
Physical Health, Musculoskeletal Disorders, and Absence
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain one of the most common causes of work-related absence across the UK, affecting employees in both physical and office-based roles. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), MSDs account for approximately 7.8 million working days lost each year. These conditions commonly affect the back, neck, shoulders, and upper limbs and are frequently associated with workplace risk factors such as poor ergonomics, repetitive movements, prolonged sitting or standing, and manual handling activities.
While MSDs often begin as mild or intermittent discomfort, they can worsen quickly when left unaddressed. Without early intervention, minor aches and strains may develop into chronic pain, reduced mobility, and functional limitations that significantly affect an employee’s ability to work. This not only increases the likelihood of prolonged absence but can also contribute to reduced productivity, presenteeism, and recurring sickness absence. MSDs also have a cumulative impact on organisations. Employees working through pain may experience reduced concentration, slower task completion, and a higher risk of errors or accidents, particularly in roles involving manual tasks or sustained screen-based work. Over time, this places additional strain on colleagues and operational capacity.
Occupational health support plays a critical role in preventing and managing MSD-related absence. Services such as ergonomic assessments, health surveillance, and early clinical intervention help identify risk factors, recommend practical adjustments, and support employees before conditions become long-term. By addressing physical health risks early, organisations can reduce absence, support sustained productivity, and create safer, healthier working environments.
The Strategic Role of Occupational Health
Occupational health provides the essential clinical and advisory link between employee wellbeing and organisational performance. It enables employers to manage health-related issues in a structured, objective, and evidence-based way, supporting both employee outcomes and business continuity.
Unlike general wellbeing initiatives, which often focus on awareness or lifestyle support, occupational health delivers clinical assessments and practical recommendations that directly inform workplace decisions. These include fitness for work assessments, structured return-to-work planning, advice on reasonable workplace adjustments, and guidance on health-related risk management and compliance. This ensures that decisions affecting employees are fair, consistent, and based on medical evidence rather than assumption or uncertainty.
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) highlights that early referral to occupational health significantly reduces the duration and recurrence of sickness absence. Timely intervention helps identify underlying health issues, supports appropriate adjustments, and prevents short-term absence from developing into long-term or recurring absence. Importantly, occupational health also supports managers by providing clear, impartial advice. This reduces uncertainty when managing complex health cases, helps maintain appropriate boundaries, and ensures that employee health is balanced with operational needs.
By integrating occupational health into absence management strategies, employers can intervene earlier, support employees more effectively, and maintain productivity. This proactive approach not only reduces absence-related disruption but also strengthens trust, consistency, and resilience across the workforce.
Early Intervention and Absence Prevention
One of the strongest predictors of long-term sickness absence is delayed intervention. When health concerns are not identified and addressed early, the likelihood of prolonged or recurring absence increases significantly, creating greater disruption for both employees and organisations. Research from Public Health England (now the UK Health Security Agency) shows that employees who remain absent for more than four weeks are far less likely to return to work without structured support. At this stage, recovery becomes more complex, confidence in returning to work may decline, and the risk of disengagement increases.
Early referral to occupational health enables organisations to act before health issues escalate. Timely intervention helps identify underlying risks, whether physical, psychological, or work-related, and provides clear, practical recommendations that support recovery. This may include temporary adjustments, phased return-to-work plans, or changes to workload or duties, allowing employees to remain engaged while they recover. Early intervention also helps prevent repeated absence cycles. By addressing the root causes of ill health rather than just the symptoms, organisations reduce the risk of employees returning to work too soon or without adequate support, only to become unwell again. Evidence consistently shows that early occupational health involvement is associated with shorter absence durations and higher successful return-to-work rates. For employers, this approach protects productivity, reduces uncertainty, and demonstrates a proactive commitment to employee health and well-being.
Workplace Wellbeing as an Organisational Responsibility
Workplace wellbeing extends beyond individual health initiatives or one-off programmes. It reflects how work is designed, managed, and supported on a day-to-day basis, shaping how employees experience their roles and how sustainable their performance can be over time. The World Health Organisation defines a healthy workplace as one in which employees and managers actively collaborate to protect health, safety, and well-being while also supporting sustainable organisational performance. This definition recognises that wellbeing is not solely the responsibility of the individual, but a shared organisational commitment.
Effective workplace wellbeing strategies focus on structural and cultural factors that influence health, including:
- Clear workload expectations and role clarity
- Training and support for managers
- Psychological safety and open communication
- Access to appropriate health and well-being services
- Inclusive policies that support diverse needs
When these elements are in place, employees are more likely to feel supported, valued, and able to manage demands effectively. This reduces stress-related absence, improves engagement, and supports more consistent performance. Embedding wellbeing into organisational culture helps shift health management from a reactive response to a preventative approach. Employees become more resilient, teams function more effectively, and productivity is sustained without compromising wellbeing.
How Healthscreen UK Supports Employee Health and Productivity
At Healthscreen UK, we support organisations in moving away from reactive absence management and towards proactive, structured workforce health strategies. Rather than responding only once absence has already occurred, HSCR helps employers identify risks earlier and put effective health support in place before issues escalate. Through a combination of occupational health assessments, health surveillance programmes, and well-being support, HSCR enables organisations to manage employee health consistently and evidence-based. This approach helps employers to reduce sickness absence, improve productivity and engagement, and support a safe, sustainable return-to-work process when health issues arise.
HSCR also supports organisations in meeting their legal and ethical responsibilities by providing clear clinical guidance that informs fair decision-making and appropriate workplace adjustments. This reduces uncertainty for managers while ensuring employees feel supported rather than scrutinised. By integrating occupational health into everyday workforce management, HSCR helps align employee health with business performance. Health is no longer treated as a competing priority, but as a foundation for resilience, productivity, and long-term organisational success.
Long-Term Business Benefits of Prioritising Employee Health
Organisations that prioritise employee health consistently report measurable benefits across both people and performance outcomes. These include lower sickness absence rates, higher and more consistent productivity, improved employee retention, reduced recruitment and training costs, and a stronger employer reputation that supports long-term workforce stability. The business case for investing in employee health is well established. The Deloitte UK Wellbeing at Work Report found that for every £1 invested in mental health interventions, employers receive an average return of £5 through reduced sickness absence, lower levels of presenteeism, and decreased staff turnover.
These findings reinforce the value of proactive health strategies. By addressing health risks early and supporting employees effectively, organisations reduce avoidable disruption, retain skills and experience, and create environments where people can perform sustainably. In this context, prioritising employee health is not only a wellbeing initiative but a sound investment in productivity, resilience, and long-term organisational success.
Health Is a Productivity Enabler, Not a Cost
Prioritising employee health is one of the most effective ways to reduce sickness absence and improve productivity. When organisations invest in occupational health, workplace well-being, and early intervention, they create conditions where employees are able to perform at their best; safely, sustainably, and consistently. Rather than reacting once problems arise, proactive health strategies help prevent absence, support recovery, and protect long-term workforce capability. Employees who feel supported in their health are more engaged, resilient, and better equipped to manage the demands of work.
Employee health is not separate from productivity; it underpins it. Organisations that recognise this are better positioned to sustain performance, retain talent, and build resilient workplaces for the future.
FAQs
Q. Is presenteeism worse than absenteeism?
Yes, presenteeism can be more damaging than absenteeism in the long term. Presenteeism occurs when employees continue working while unwell, stressed, or fatigued, leading to reduced concentration, slower performance, and higher error rates. Unlike absenteeism, which is visible and measurable, presenteeism often goes unnoticed and can lead to prolonged recovery, worsening health, and eventual long-term absence. Hence, addressing employee health early helps reduce both presenteeism and future sickness absence.
Q. Why does employee health enhance productivity?
Employee health enhances productivity because healthy employees are more focused, resilient, and able to sustain consistent performance. Good physical and mental health support better decision-making, higher energy levels, and improved engagement at work. When employee health is prioritised through occupational health support and workplace wellbeing strategies, organisations experience reduced absence, lower presenteeism, and improved overall productivity.
Q. What are the five main factors that affect productivity?
The five main factors that affect productivity are employee health and well-being, workload and role clarity, management support, workplace environment, and access to appropriate resources and support. Poor physical or mental health, unclear expectations, excessive workload, and lack of support can all reduce productivity. Addressing these factors through proactive workforce health strategies helps organisations maintain performance and reduce absence.
Q. Do employee wellness programmes increase productivity?
Yes, employee wellness programmes can increase productivity when they are well-designed and supported by occupational health input. Effective wellness programmes help reduce sickness absence, improve employee engagement, and support mental and physical health. Programmes that focus on early intervention, stress management, and access to health support are most effective in improving productivity and supporting long-term workforce health.
