Overview

• ONS data show UK workers lost an average of 4.4 sick days in 2024, driving the overall absence rate down to 2 percent.
• Mental health-related absences climbed from 14.8 million to a record 20.5 million days last year, accounting for 13.7 percent of all sick leave.
• The weekly statutory sick pay rate of £118.75 remains among the least generous in the OECD, with nearly half of businesses paying no more than the minimum.
• Women, older workers, part-time staff and public sector employees faced the highest absence rates, with the public sector peaking at 2.9 percent.
• Regional disparities persisted, as the South West recorded the highest sickness absence rate at 2.4 percent in 2024.