NEW RESEARCH FINDS 2,325% INCREASE IN ‘REASON NOT GIVEN’ FOR SICKNESS ABSENCES IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR
New research has revealed that ‘reason not given’, ‘other’, and ‘not listed’ for sickness absences have increased by 2,325% from 2019 to 2022.
The ‘Big Sick Leave’ report, created by leading education software specialist Access Education, analysed sickness leave data from 2019 to 2022 to reveal the state of staff wellbeing in the education sector.
The research found that ‘reason not given’ collectively represented 4.5% of all reported sick days in the education sector, amounting to 764 days in total.
This comes as the report revealed ‘mental health or related’ reasons to be the leading cause for sickness leave in the education sector, with ‘stress’ and ‘depression’ the most commonly reported reasons.
Meanwhile, challenges exacerbated by the pandemic have continued to put pressure on teaching staff, with 46% of educators feeling unsupported by their working environments.
Although employees are becoming more forthcoming about their wellbeing and mental health, two-thirds of Brits admit to still avoiding the conversation and putting on a ‘brave face’.
The findings from the report indicate this to be a rising trend in the education sector, leaving schools unable to properly identify, and understand, what resources need to be put into place to better support staff.
After the government committed to introducing wellbeing training in all state-funded schools and colleges by March 2025, schools are being encouraged to use school management software to better identify signs of burnout, anxiety, and stress among staff.
Encouraging honesty and ensuring confidentiality around sickness leave will also be key to helping staff feel more comfortable sharing reasons for time off, and by accurately reporting sick leave schools can leverage insights to identify what and where support is needed, and if processes need to be evaluated.
Reasons given for sick leave, (2019-2022)
| Reason given | Sick Days Total | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Mental Health related | 3,566 | 30.1% | 19.7% | 25.8% | 24.4% |
| Infection (chest, ear, viral) | 1,751 | 11% | 35.2% | 26.3% | 27.5% |
| COVID-19 | 1,523 | 0% | 23% | 39.3% | 37.7% |
| Backache | 798 | 39% | 44.2% | 10.8% | 6% |
| Other/generally unwell/reason not given | 764 | 2% | 19% | 28% | 51% |
| Cold/flu | 542 | 34.4% | 26% | 20.7% | 18.9% |
| Gastro/sickness | 608 | 28.6% | 18% | 26.4% | 27% |
| Headache/migraine | 130 | 15.4% | 23% | 12.3% | 49.3% |
On the findings, Matthew Holman, Mental Health Trainer and Founder of Simpila Wellbeing, said:
“Education has undoubtedly become a more pressured work environment for staff over recent years from the need to comply closely with the rules of Ofsted and the governance of schools as it focuses more on performance-based metrics – with results, attendance, overall performance now driving budgets.
“Our environment and peers are a key consideration as to why we still feel unable to be truly open about how we are feeling. Employees still fear the consequences of being honest and open about their personal challenges, from feeling they may be perceived as weak or unable to do their job (with the fear of this leading to disciplinary or dismissal procedures).
“Awareness training and support for all is imperative in understanding each personal individual journey. Implementing Mental Health First Aiders can also provide a layer or level of support in the workplace, along with regular communication and conversations of key mental health topics of focus.”
Nicola Ransford, Education HR & Payroll Expert at The Access Group adds:
“The rising rates of sickness absence within the education sector demonstrate just how crucial it is that schools can effectively identify emerging patterns in absenteeism. The alarming increase in absences related to mental health reasons, as well as reasons not given, points to a landscape where educators are dealing with more pressure and stress than ever before.
“As we see more teachers exiting the sector, understanding these underlying causes is essential for bridging gaps and fostering environments that promote mental and physical wellbeing. By using internal data, our ‘Big Sick Leave Report’ has been able to pinpoint the main areas in which teachers are requesting time off.
“Using easily accessible data and reporting to recognise common trends, especially in the education sector, can be extremely effective in making the workplace a positive environment. We highly recommend that education institutes look into implementing solutions like this so they can not only safeguard the wellbeing of their pupils, but also protect and enhance the health and wellbeing of their staff.”
To see the full report on the ‘Big Sick Leave’, please visit: https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/blog/edu-big-sick-leave-report/
