The CIPD have released their annual absence management survey report based on replies from 578 organisations across the UK in reference to 1.5 million employees. Key findings include:

• The average level of employee absence has increased from 6.6 days per employee in 2014 to 6.9 days in 2015.
• The overall median cost of absence per employee is £554. 
• Minor illness cause most short-term absences, followed by musculoskeletal injuries, back pain and stress.
• The most common causes of long-term absence are acute medical conditions, stress, musculoskeletal injuries, mental ill-health and back pain.

Key health concerns raised by the report’s findings are:

• 40% of respondents report that stress-related absence has increased over the past year, although this rises to 50% in public sector organisations.
• 40% of organisations claim an increase in reported mental health problems (such as anxiety and depression) among employees in the past 12 months.
• A third of organisations report an increase in people coming to work ill in the last 12 months, but 56% of those who have noticed an increase in ‘presenteeism’ have not taken any steps to discourage it.

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