Welcome to another episode of “That Should be Working” with Rich + Coll. In today’s episode your hosts take on the rising number of sick days a British worker now takes - an average of 9.4 days versus 5.9 days before the pandemic. 

Why the topic?

If more people are taking time off work, does it point to something deeper going wrong in the workplace? This episode was sparked by a survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), prompting a closer look at sick leave policies. We explore how different countries compare in terms of days taken, and whether these disparities reflect cultural attitudes, access to support, or broader systemic issues.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

•Why UK sick leave is at a 15-year high

•How other countries balance time off with productivity

•The rise of stress and mental health as major drivers of absence

•Why the “work through it” badge of honour is fading fast

•Whether sick leave is becoming a form of quiet rebellion

Rich + Coll share their personal experiences in the workplace - from feeling unable to take time off due to a lack of cover, to situations where taking sick leave was unavoidable, and the broader sense that the infrastructure simply wasn’t there to support needing time off for illness.

Key Takeaways:

• There is a combination of being sick at work and sick of work
• We will likely never truly know why individuals are taking more time off for sickness
• The rise in sick leave reflects cultural change as much as health decline
• Financial stability shapes recovery and absence decisions
• Flexibility in work reduces both genuine and strategic absences
• Working through illness has long-term costs for people and productivity
• Businesses investing in wellbeing see stronger results over time

Listen in, join the debate and let us know your comments.

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