National Sickie Day is recognised each year on the first Monday of February, when many UK workers call in sick, often due to post-Christmas burnout, January blues, seasonal illnesses, mental health needs as noted by Action Mental Health, gloomy winter weather, or perhaps even that it’s the first payday after Christmas which can lead to celebrations at the weekend and a hangover. 

Today, we are addressing the common issues in the workplace that could lead staff to call in sick when they’re not, and how to improve the attendance rate at work. 

So what are the main reasons staff call in sick and how can you improve it?

Employee sickness absence is one of the biggest hidden costs facing UK businesses today. While occasional illness is unavoidable, persistent or high absence rates often point to wider workplace issues. Understanding why staff call in sick is the first step towards reducing absence, improving wellbeing, and retaining talent.

According to research by Unum and YouGov, based on a survey of more than 2,000 SME decision-makers across the UK¹, the scale of employee sickness is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. The findings show that the median annual cost of sickness absence for SMEs has risen to £27,964, around 1.7% of average total turnover in 2024/25. When applied across the wider UK SME landscape, this equates to an estimated £28.9 billion in lost productivity each year. These figures highlight that employee health is not just a well-being concern but a significant commercial risk that directly impacts business performance.

The Main Reasons Employees Call in Sick

1. Stress, Burnout & Mental Health

Mental health remains the leading cause of long-term sickness absence in the UK. Heavy workloads, unrealistic deadlines, lack of support, and poor work-life balance can all contribute.

Common signs:

• Frequent short-term absences
• “Burnout” days
• Increased errors or disengagement
   

2. Minor Illness & Fatigue

Colds, flu, migraines, and general exhaustion account for a large proportion of short-term absences, particularly during winter months or peak workload periods.

Often, this links back to:

• Poor sleep
• Long commuting times
• Physically demanding roles
   

3. Workplace Culture & Low Engagement

Employees who feel undervalued or disconnected are statistically more likely to take sick days. In some cases, absence becomes a coping mechanism rather than a medical issue.

Red flags include:

• High absence in specific teams
• Absence clustering around Mondays or Fridays

4. Musculoskeletal Injuries

In sectors such as construction, engineering, manufacturing and logistics, physical strain is a major contributor to time off.

This includes:

• Back pain
• Repetitive strain injuries
• Poor ergonomics (both on-site and office-based)

5. Caring Responsibilities

Employees juggling childcare or elder care may use sick leave when flexibility isn’t available, particularly during school holidays or family emergencies.

6. Presenteeism Leading to Illness

Ironically, workplaces that discourage time off can see higher sickness. Employees come in unwell, spread illness, and eventually burn out or require longer recovery periods. 

How Employers Can Improve Attendance and Reduce Sick Leave

1. Prioritise Mental Health & Workload Management

• Offer mental health support or EAPs
• Train managers to spot burnout early
• Set realistic workloads and deadlines - Your staff will burn out if they are overworked and consistently stressed, and ultimately, they will become unwell. 

Result: Reduced stress-related absence and higher engagement.

2. Encourage Flexible Working Where Possible

Hybrid working, flexible start times, or compressed hours help employees manage life pressures without resorting to sick leave.

Result: Fewer “non-medical” sick days and improved retention.

3. Invest in Health & Wellbeing Benefits

This doesn’t have to mean expensive schemes. Small changes make a big difference:

• Ergonomic assessments
• Private healthcare options
• Wellness days or mental health days
• Offer a cycle to work scheme
• Ensure staff are taking a lunch break, as well as any additional breaks from screen time

Result: Fewer physical injuries and improved morale.

4. Create a Supportive Attendance Culture

Instead of focusing on punishment:

• Use return-to-work conversations constructively
• Focus on patterns, not one-off absences
• Encourage honest conversations about challenges

Result: Employees feel supported, not scrutinised.

5. Train Line Managers Effectively

Managers play a critical role in attendance. Poor communication and lack of empathy are common drivers of absence.

Provide training on:

• Mental health awareness
• Conflict resolution
• Performance management with compassion

6. Review Role Fit & Workforce Planning

Sometimes absence is a symptom of a deeper mismatch between role expectations and capability.

Recruitment partners can help by:

• Ensuring realistic job specs
• Benchmarking workloads and salaries - Contact us to request your personal salary benchmarking report
• Advising on team structure and headcount

7. Make the office culture a nice place to work

Quite often, staff will pull a sick day because they don’t enjoy being in the office or the people they’re working with. 

Consider things like:

• Work set up - How are the desks and workspace arranged? Are people able to be social and bounce ideas off their colleagues?
• Do you offer things like a nice coffee machine, a warm working environment, a nice break-out room for lunch time with games and comfortable seating?

• A quiet room if they need a bit of space from others when concentrating on a challenging task. 

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The Recruitment Perspective: Prevention Starts at Hiring

From our experience, many attendance issues can be prevented before someone even starts:

• Hiring people aligned with the role and culture
• Setting clear expectations from day one
• Offering competitive pay and benefits
• Supporting progression and development
   

A well-matched hire is far less likely to disengage or burn out.

Final Thoughts

Sickness absence is rarely just about illness. More often, it reflects pressure, poor culture, or lack of flexibility. Employers who take a proactive, people-first approach not only reduce sick days - they build stronger, more resilient teams.

If you’d like support reviewing your workforce strategy, wellbeing approach, or hiring process, we’re here to help.

Contact our team of specialist Recruitment Consultants today to discuss your hiring strategy.