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Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Wednesday, 24 August 2005 10:39

BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk

Brits take 78 million sick days

A report by Benenden Healthcare Society has revealed that British workers claimed 78 million sick days in the past year, with 10 per cent of workers taking more than three weeks off sick.

Some 13.9 million people were found to have taken at least one sick day in the past year, with two million admitting to taking three weeks off.

Women were more likely to be off sick, with 54 per cent taking at least one day compared to 46 per cent of men.

Furthermore, 68 per cent of workers in the 16-24 age group were off for at least one day, way above the 50 per cent average for the workforce as a whole.

Geographically, Scottish workers were absent for the shortest periods, while people in the north-west of England took the most sick leave, with 12 per cent having taken more than three weeks off in the past year (compared to just two per cent of Scots).

Jakki Stubbington, of Benenden Healthcare, said: "Most workers will need to take sick leave at some time, and in most cases it will only usually last a few days.

"However, as the research shows, some employees are taking off far more time on an annual basis, which can be costly to the employer. It is concerning that over two million workers have taken more than three weeks off work in just one year. This means almost 6 per cent of the year spent off ill.

"We would recommend that businesses look to deploy some sort of healthcare benefit to try and reduce the levels of absence."

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