XpertHR 2014 absence survey results

XpertHR 2014 absence survey results have been released. The survey, which received 256 responses, found that the national average absence rate was 2.6% of working time in 2013, equivalent to six days per employee.

As XpertHR explains, many employers produce a figure based on the percentage of total working time that has been taken by absences from work when calculating absence rates. Others use a method based on the average days’ absence per employee per year. Among the 256 employers taking part in the survey, 131 were able to provide sickness absence data relating to the percentage of working time lost, and 150 gave information relating to the number of days’ absence per employee per annum.

Based on the median measure, instead of the average, XpertHR found that absence rates have dropped slightly across the economy – 2.3% of working time lost in 2013, compared with 2.6% in 2012. Although the data for 2012 recorded a marginal increase in absence rates, the overall trend over the past number of years has been downward. In 2007, for example, the absence rate recorded by XpertHR stood at 3.2%.

According to the research, the cost of absence among UK employers amounted to £693 per employee in 2013, when averaged across the whole workforce. This is slightly higher than the CIPD 2013 cost estimate of £595 per employee per year. The XpertHR median figure was £408 per head. Calculating the true cost of sickness absence can be a complex process and most organisations base their figures solely on the salaries of individuals on sick leave. This means other factors, such as overtime costs or costs arising from reduced performance and outputs are not included. Indirect costs – such as time taken to manage the absence process, particularly when dealing with long-term sickness absence – are also generally excluded. This means the actual cost of sickness absence may be considerably higher than the figures show.

This article is based on the XpertHR 2014 absence survey results. To read more, visit their website.