No official data is collected on unexplained missed days. However, a 2022 survey of 158 companies that collectively employed more than 300,000 staff found one in three workplaces had taken formal disciplinary action over unauthorised absences since the pandemic.
Companies are also seeking far more advice about mental health than before Covid.
Meriel Schindler, head of the employment team at Withers, said: “There has been a rise in inquiries from employers about how to deal with mental ill health issues in the workplace.
“Employers are having to deal with things that they did not use to have to deal with, including really quite serious mental health issues.”
Most employers she acts for have clauses in staff contracts that can require them to arrange reviews by occupational health or by a psychiatrist. However, backlogs in the NHS make this difficult.
Ms Schindler said: “There are not enough occupational health therapists and specialists out there to deal with the amount of advice that employers need. It is very difficult to get seen by a psychiatrist. That puts enormous pressure on employers because they can’t fix appointments.”
The trend comes amid a surge in ill-health since Covid, with sick days rising to their highest level in 18 years in 2022 according to the ONS.
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
