Long term sickness will cost the UK economy £66.3bn a year by the end of the decade and is causing depression among more than half of workers affected.
This is according to poll of 1,000 employees commissioned by Zurich UK for a joint report with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) which found that the number of workers with long-term health conditions has increased by 27% in the last six years to a record high of 10.3 million people. These workers took a total of 112.5 million sick days in 2023, an increase of nearly 70% over the same period.
In 2023, this cost the UK economy £32.7bn in lost productivity – marking the third consecutive yearly increase in lost productivity, from an estimated £24.6bn in 2021 and £30.7bn in 2022. And the report warns should current trends continue, work absences due to long-term sickness will cost the economy £66.3bn a year by 2030 in lost productivity.
The poll commissioned for the report among those who have been on long term sick in the last 12 months found that the biggest contributors were mental health issues (44%) and musculoskeletal problems (14%) such as back pain.
The next biggest contributors to people being off sick were respiratory conditions (7%) and gastrointestinal problems (7%).
But the research also showed more than two thirds (64%) of long-term sick experienced anxiety as a result of their time off work. Over half (53%) suffered from depression and 39% loneliness. And while one in 10 resorted to increasing alcohol consumption and 5% substance abuse, 16% had suicidal thoughts.
Despite these trends, just one third (33%) of these employees were offered rehabilitation support by their employer, and just 22% were offered relapse prevention services.
Peter Hamilton, head of market engagement at Zurich, (pictured) said: “The Cebr findings reflect what we are seeing from our customers. With so many people now working from home, musculoskeletal issues are likely to continue to represent a dominant part of the problem, as too many employees will not have the correct home office set up. This, coupled with the widely reported challenge of hospital waiting times, is creating the perfect storm for an increasingly absent workforce.
“But the wider issue here isn’t about people wanting to be off work – the vast majority want to get back to ‘normal life’ as quickly as they can. There is a requirement for multiple interventions from both the government and employers to make sure people have the support they need to rehabilitate.”
