Employee absenteeism rates have skyrocketed in recent years. Before the pandemic, UK workers took an average of 5.8 days off per year, almost doubling to 9.4 days in the last 12 months. Every day off comes at a cost to British businesses. Overall, the Office for National Statistics found that 148.9 million working days were lost to sickness or injury in 2024.
But behind every statistic is a person, someone balancing work with illness, stress, or responsibilities outside the office. For HR teams and business leaders, the challenge is to understand what’s keeping them away and create conditions where they can thrive.
The UK Government’s recent Keep Britain Working review echoes this challenge on a national scale. It highlights that over one in five working-age adults are now out of the workforce, many due to ill health or disability, and calls for employers to take a more active role in prevention and early support. Its message is clear: helping people stay healthy, connected and included at work is essential for keeping Britain’s economy moving. This guide to employee absenteeism gives you a kickstart.
Understanding root causes to reduce employee absenteeism
Addressing and reducing employee absenteeism isn’t about assigning blame or punishing your workers for taking time off. Quite the opposite. Instead, organisations with rising absenteeism rates will often benefit by looking internally at their culture to understand why workers can’t be present.
This means reframing the typical “sickie” as a signal that your people’s wellbeing is under strain. Every day of lost work has a story behind it. Your job is to get to the root of why absence occurs and learn how to turn the situation around.
10 strategies to reduce employee absenteeism and enhance retention
If absenteeism is becoming an issue in your business, it’s natural to want to “fix” it fast. But when employees show up less often, it usually points to deeper, systemic issues that won’t change overnight. The key is a genuine, long-term commitment to improving wellbeing and workplace culture. Here are 10 suggestions to reduce employee absenteeism in your organisation.
Strategy 1: Reduce employee absenteeism with a clear and supportive absence management policy
A clear, consistent absence policy sets the foundation for trust and accountability. Yet many organisations admit theirs are out of date or unevenly applied. For this reason, 44% of UK companies say reviewing and updating their absence policies has become a top priority over the next two years.
A comprehensive policy explains:
- How employees can report absence
- What support is available
- How managers will handle return-to-work (RTW) conversations
Most importantly, it should balance business needs with empathy, clarifying that the goal is to support people back to health and productivity, not penalise them for being unwell.
When absence and leave management is transparent and fair, employees feel safer to be honest about their health, allowing genuine improvement to begin.
Strategy 2: Enhance workplace culture and employee engagement to reduce absenteeism
Around the world, employees struggle to feel engaged at work. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, global employee engagement declined to 21% last year, with only 33% of workers thriving in their lives overall.
We’ve all seen what happens when engagement slips — quiet quitting, the Great Resignation, and rising burnout are just the visible symptoms. Unsurprisingly, then, employees who feel disconnected or undervalued are also more likely to call in sick, whether through stress, low motivation, or sheer exhaustion.
To strengthen engagement and reduce absence, start by:
- Reconnecting purpose to performance: Make sure people understand how their work contributes to wider goals, and recognise them when it does.
- Creating space for feedback: Regular one-to-one meetings, pulse surveys, and team check-ins help employees feel heard before issues turn into absences.
- Investing in belonging: Encourage team connection through cross-functional projects, recognition programmes, or wellbeing initiatives that bring people together.
Strategy 3: Prioritise mental health and wellbeing to reduce employee absenteeism
Poor mental health is one of the biggest drivers of absence in UK workplaces, and it’s rising. According to the CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work 2024 report, 41% of employers say mental ill health, such as depression or anxiety, is the leading cause of long-term absence, and it’s also a major factor in 29% of short-term absences.
To make meaningful change, organisations need to go beyond reactive support and offer employees easy, stigma-free access to help when they need it most. For example, Sonder’s mental health support gives employees 24/7 access to qualified professionals, helping them manage stress, anxiety, and burnout early, before absence becomes the only option.
When mental health is built into everyday workplace culture, employees feel safe and more able to show up, both physically and mentally.
Strategy 4: Reduce employee absenteeism with flexible and hybrid working options
The traditional nine-to-five office routine doesn’t match the way people live and work today. Rigid schedules add unnecessary stress, making it harder to manage health or caring responsibilities, and ultimately driving up absenteeism.
In contrast, flexible and hybrid work arrangements are known to reduce absence and improve wellbeing. Research shows that more than a third of hybrid workers take fewer sick days and experience less stress than when they worked in the office. Similarly, two thirds of employees better manage their health conditions and make time for preventative healthcare. 91% of UK employers already offer some form of flexible working, with many linking these arrangements directly to improvements in engagement, performance, and wellbeing.
To make it work in practice:
- Be clear about expectations: Define core hours, communication norms, and how you plan to measure performance.
- Watch for presenteeism: Encourage people to take genuine rest when they’re unwell; flexibility shouldn’t mean working through illness.
- Pilot and review: Try hybrid schedules with one team first, monitor absence, wellbeing, output, and adapt, as needed.
Strategy 5: Train managers to reduce employee absenteeism and support their teams
Sometimes, you need to look no further than your managers to get to the root of the absence problem. Some may be missing signals that their team members need extra help, while others may be the direct cause of the employees’ absence.
In either case, continued professional development can help. An absence management survey conducted by WTW revealed that 63% of UK businesses struggle with manager capability. Adequate training should focus on equipping managers with the tools to build resilient teams by:
- Fostering a culture of trust and open communication with their team members
- Feeling comfortable and confident in talking to any employees experiencing ill health
- Supporting team members who are affected by the absence of a colleague
Strategy 6: Use effective return-to-work interviews to reduce employee absenteeism
The moment an employee returns to work is a pivotal point that should be handled with empathy and care. Hosting a return-to-work interview gives you a chance to identify any underlying issues and agree on support to help the employee stay healthy and engaged.
For best results:
- Act quickly: Hold the RTW meeting on the employee’s first day back or as soon as possible after
- Ask, don’t assume: Use open, empathetic questions to uncover genuine causes of absence
- Offer adjustments: Explore temporary or long-term changes, such as workload tweaks or flexible hours that could prevent lost time incidents in the future
Strategy 7: Recognise and reward good attendance to reduce employee absenteeism
Recognition is one of the most overlooked ways to keep people motivated, connected, and present. Genuine appreciation is seriously powerful. According to research from Nectar, 87% of employees say meaningful recognition improves their job satisfaction, and eight in 10 report that being recognised more often would boost their motivation and engagement.
While some organisations may implement a formal recognition program complete with financial bonuses and rewards, recognition doesn’t always need to be formal or costly. A sincere thank you or public acknowledgment can make people feel valued and visible. When appreciation becomes part of everyday culture, attendance and morale both rise.
Strategy 8: Foster open communication and psychological safety to reduce employee absenteeism
For employees to come to work, they need to feel safe there — not just physically, but psychologically. That means being comfortable to speak up, share ideas, and disagree respectfully without fear of “getting it wrong” or facing repercussions.
A significant 82% of employees believe it’s important to bring their authentic selves to work, yet only 42% feel able to do so. This gap creates an invisible pressure that can fuel stress and, ultimately, absence.
Your leaders are key to building psychological resilience. When they model openness and admit their own mistakes and vulnerabilities, their direct reports are more likely to feel “permitted” to do the same. Build on this by encouraging honest conversations in one-to-ones and team settings, always acting on feedback received.
When employees trust that their voice matters, they’re more engaged, resilient, and present, which is the foundation of a healthier workplace.
Strategy 9: Offer wellbeing resources to reduce employee absenteeism
Access to the right wellbeing resources make the difference between an employee who’s struggling and one who feels supported enough to stay healthy and engaged. The most effective organisations make wellbeing support easy to find and not hidden in policy documents.
Employees can manage their health proactively with Sonder’s wellbeing resources. The 24/7, confidential platform offers:
- A comprehensive library of expert-led content on stress, sleep, and nutrition
- Confidential wellbeing assessments like the DASS-21 questionnaire
- Interactive programmes designed to build resilience and reduce burnout
When people have simple, stigma-free access to information and support, they’re more likely to take early action, and far less likely to end up sick as a result.
Strategy 10: Offer on-demand health support to reduce employee absenteeism
Getting timely medical advice shouldn’t depend on finding an appointment or taking a day off work. When employees can speak to a qualified clinician quickly, they’re more likely to manage issues early and avoid unnecessary absence.
Sonder’s medical support gives employees 24/7 access to registered nurses, telehealth GPs, and tailored medical advice, all from their phone. Members receive instant clinical guidance, book virtual GP appointments, and even access prescription services or referrals without visiting a clinic.
It’s care that meets people where they are. In fact, 70% of Sonder members report symptom improvement after using the service, and 60% of cases are resolved without needing a hospital or GP visit.
On-demand health support keeps people healthy, reassured, and at work — a simple, modern way to reduce absenteeism and show genuine care for your team.
Move from reactive to proactive: How Sonder reduces employee absenteeism
When people feel seen, supported, and part of something meaningful, they’re far more likely to show up, in every sense of the word.
That’s where Sonder comes in. Traditional employee assistance programmes (EAPs) often fall short because they’re reactive — waiting for someone to reach crisis point before offering help. Sonder takes a different approach, with a proactive wellbeing and medical support platform that gives employees real-time access to health professionals, wellbeing tools, and personalised care — all available 24/7, from any device.
Combining physical, mental, and medical health in one seamless experience enables organisations to move beyond policies and programmes to create a genuinely supportive culture. The result? A healthier, more present, and more productive workforce.
See how Sonder can help your people feel supported every day — book a demo today.
FAQs
How can I reduce absenteeism?
Start with root cause analysis. Conduct Stay Interviews, review absence data, and hold empathetic return-to-work conversations to understand underlying drivers (long hours, stress, burnout). Then, address systemic issues and ensure access to early, proactive support.
What do you say to an employee with poor attendance?
Be clear about what you’ve noticed and ask how they’re doing. Keep the focus on understanding what’s behind the absences rather than lecturing them about attendance. If something at work is making things harder, talk about changes that might help.
How do you manage excessive absenteeism?
Managing excessive absence starts with a real conversation. Ask what’s behind it and fix what you can. Don’t hide behind paperwork — people usually need support, not another form to fill out.
How does employee engagement reduce absenteeism?
Employee engagement is inextricably linked to absenteeism. When workers feel connected to their organisation and believe their work matters, they’re more likely to be able and willing to show up. Engagement gives people a sense of purpose and belonging, which naturally reduces avoidable absences and strengthens overall commitment to the team.
