1 in 4 North West employers have seen an increase in staff sickness

A new survey, commissioned by Acas, has found 1 in 4 employers in the North West have seen a recent increase in staff sickness.

The research, conducted by YouGov in September, asked businesses to share if they had seen any changes to the number of employees off sick compared to 12 months ago. A quarter of employers revealed an increase in absences, compared to just 5% reporting a decrease, with nearly two-thirds (61%) reporting the number of staff taking sickness absence had stayed roughly the same.

Acas North West Director Terry Duffy said:

“North West businesses are seeing an increase in the number of employees absent through sickness, and they may be impacted by increases in flu or COVID cases, or the effects of long COVID.

“When employees are unwell, it is important that businesses have a clear absence policy to reassure them about their rights and to ensure the business stays on an even keel.

“Effective handling of sickness absences at work can also provide clarity for employers and employees, and help avoid potential disputes.”

Acas advises that employers should have an absence policy in place that is clear about what is expected from both employers and employees if staff need time off work. If a business does not have an absence policy, employees can ask their employer or HR manager what they need to do to take time off work.

Acas commissioned YouGov to poll employers in a representative sample of British businesses. The survey was carried out online and the total sample size was 1007 adults, of which 85 were from North West-based businesses. Fieldwork was undertaken between 20th to 28^th September 2022. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc and have been weighted and are representative of British business size.