Explainer: Why taking a sick day could help boost the economy

We’ve all seen it: corpse-like colleagues clocking in at the office because honestly they’re fine, “just a cold,” they cough, bravely. But did you know such heroics could be costing the economy £25bn a year? 

That’s right, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), people working through illness rather than taking a sick day is actually harming productivity.

“Too often, UK workers are being pressured to work through sickness when that’s not appropriate – harming their wellbeing and reducing productivity,” IPPR senior research fellow Dr Jamie O’Halloran said. 

The research, submitted as part of the IPPR’s work for the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity, estimates the hidden cost of sickness on the economy has risen by £30bn since 2018: £25bn due to working through illness and £5bn due to actual sick days.

The findings come as the UK looks to tackle record levels of economic inactivity, which saw former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledge to clamp down on “sick-note culture” earlier this year in what would now seem a misguided bid to drive productivity.

Combined with other factors including poor quality jobs, over-consumption of junk food and low investment in public health, the body said the UK had been left as “the (literal) sick man of Europe”.

To restore national health – and economic growth – a greater focus on workplace wellbeing from employers along with a national shift to a “health-led economy” is needed, the IPPR added.

“Our demonstration of a ‘hidden’ productivity costs of working through sickness should catalyse a change in approach,” O’Halloran said.

“We should strive to make sure the work we do is good for our health, that we have the time to recover when we need it, and to ensure businesses both contribute to and benefit from population health. This would protect workers, boost profits and deliver growth.”

So next time you think about soldiering on, think instead about your national duty, and stay in bed.