Sickness absence soars as managers are unprepared

Mental ill health, including conditions such as depression and anxiety, continues to be a major challenge in the workplace, with more than a third of employers (41 per cent) identifying it as the leading cause of long-term absence in their organisation.

- Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser, CIPD

Yet, despite growing awareness of mental health issues, only three in 10 employers (29 per cent) provide training for line managers to support employees' mental wellbeing.

These findings come from the CIPD's Health and Wellbeing at Work Report 2025, supported by Simplyhealth.

The survey of more than 1,100 employers also revealed that UK employees were off sick for nearly two full working weeks (9.4 days) on average in the last 12 months.

This marks a significant jump compared to pre-pandemic levels (5.8 days), and 7.8 days in 2023 when the survey was last carried out.