One in six UK businesses do not monitor employee absenteeism, report reveals

One in six UK businesses do not monitor employee absenteeism, according to MetLife UK and YuLife’s Prevention Advantage guide. 

Two in five businesses said their business is too small to need tracking, while others said it is not a priority or takes too much time and effort. 

One in six business owners do not calculate the cost of sickness absence, even though the average long-term absence can cost £20,735 per employee.

MetLife UK and YuLife launched The Prevention Advantage guide to help businesses prevent sickness rather than just pay for it. 

Their new insurance model goes beyond group income protection, focusing on prevention and recovery by encouraging daily wellbeing habits. 

For a business with 25 people, prevention tactics could save £3,243 a year in short-term absence costs or £130 per employee.

MetLife UK data showed early intervention within four weeks led to a 96% return-to-work rate. 

YuLife found more than half of users who took mental health-related sick leave returned to work within three months.