Marvin OnumonuResearch from GRiD found 32% of employers do not currently measure the impact of sickness absence on their organisation.
In 2024, 69% of employers reported measuring absence and 27% did not.
Figures from previous years showed 61% measured absence in 2025, 59% in 2023, 63% in both 2022 and 2021, and 65% in 2020.
The proportion who did not measure absence was 32% in 2025, 41% in 2023, 33% in 2022, 31% in 2021, and 35% in 2020.
Employers who track absence mainly use the cost of lost time, with 48% calculating hours and days lost.
Loss of productivity was measured by 45%, and 40% looked at sick pay provision including statutory sick pay and salary costs.
Indirect costs such as colleagues covering work, learning time, and management time were measured by 39%, while 34% looked at direct costs for temps and agency fees.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for GRiD, said: “It’s vital that employers record absence and have a good understanding of the impact to their business.
“Those that do, are in a much better position to know what support to put in place, and can then measure the return on investment of mitigating absence and expediting returns to work.”
“Absence and its impact inevitably affects every organisation. Unplanned employee absences can disrupt workflow, reduce team efficiency, and increase operational strain.”
Moxham added: “To mitigate these challenges, employers must provide proactive support that helps employees remain in work wherever possible and facilitates a smooth, timely return when absences do occur.”
