Sickness costs firms billions

摘要

Sickness absence cost the UK economy ￡13.2 billion last year, as the average employee took almost seven days off sick, new research has revealed.rnThe latest CBI/AXA Absence Survey of over 500 public and private sector organisations showed that average absence levels across the public sector stood at nine days and in the private sector the average was 5.8 days, costing employers ￡517 per employee.rnIn the public sector, the highest absence rates were found in health/social care services and police and probation services.rnLong-term sickness absence (20 days or more) - mainly due to stress, anxiety, depression and back pain and other musculo-skeletal disorders - continues to be a serious concern for firms.rnAlthough only 5% of absence spells became long-term in 2007, they accounted for around 40% of all time lost, costing ￡5.3bn. Long-term absence accounted for half of all time lost in the public sector and under a third in the private sector.