British workers take more than four times as many sick days off work than some of their global counterparts.

bs-tiles-13In the UK, absenteeism is running at around 10 working days per year, per worker and this is costing businesses a fortune.

A study of 2,500 UK businesses showed sick leave accounts for nearly 90% of a company’s absence bill. At a time when companies are striving for growth it is vital they address this cost by looking for ways to improve employees’ health, morale and motivation.

Forward-looking companies should invest in health and well-being services to tackle the issue before absence starts to hit their bottom lines. Allowing greater workplace flexibility through the implementation of agile working could go a long way to helping break the sickness cycle.

Further reading:

Interesting facts and statistics on absenteeism
Tips on how to increase workplace wellness and cut down on absenteeism
The benefits of flexible working for Employers