New research has revealed that the most common day for sickness absence in January isn’t so-called “Blue Monday”.
While Blue Monday (the third Monday in January) is often referred to as the most depressing day of the month, new research suggests it’s the last Monday in January that records the highest number of employees calling in sick.
Breathe HR, a HR software platform for SMEs, analysed sickness absence data from 490,000 employees across January 2022, January 2023 and January 2024.
It found:
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More people are off sick at the beginning and end of January than on Blue Monday
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7% of all January sick days are taken on the last Monday of the month, making this the most common day for people to call in sick
- On average, the last Monday in January experiences nearly a fifth (19%) more people off sick than on Blue Monday
- Blue Monday was consistently the third most popular day for a sick day in January; the fourth Monday of the month came in second
Multiple days of sick leave most common at start of January
By contrast, employees are most likely to take multiple sick days in a row at the beginning of January, with the number of people off work for more than one day consistently peaking on the first Thursday in Jan.
4% of all prolonged sickness absences in January fell on the first Thursday in January, making the beginning of the month the most common time for employees to take multiple days off sick.
Research suggests overall sickness absence is on the rise in the UK, with the latest ONS figures showing that the percentage of working hours lost to sickness or injury increased to 2.6% in 2022 - the highest rate since 2004.
Charlie O’Brien, Head of People at Breathe HR, comments:
“Our data challenges the Blue Monday myth, showing sickness absences peak at the start and end of January, rather than in the middle. Early January spikes in prolonged absences likely stem from seasonal illnesses and post-holiday fatigue, whilst single day sickness absence at the end of January may reflect low energy reserves as the dark days drag on and employees become run down, or simply run out of steam. Many businesses move payday forward in December, making it a very long wait to get paid in January. This can cause financial stress.
“To address this, employers should focus on wellbeing initiatives, rather than expecting workers to charge full steam ahead. By understanding sickness patterns, businesses can proactively support staff, reduce unplanned absences and foster a happier and more engaged workforce. Encouraging regular breaks and walking meetings gets employees outside during daylight hours. Planning team-building activities starts the year with collaboration, boosting morale. Flexible working can also help, perhaps looking at allowing longer time off during daylight hours, so your employees can get as much vitamin D from the limited sunlight available during winter months.”
