Sick leave within the UK civil service has significantly increased under the current Labour government, with absence rates jumping by up to nearly a fifth in major government departments over the past year, according to an analysis of departmental accounts. Nine out of twelve departments that have published annual reports for the 12 months ending April have recorded a rise in sickness rates.
This trend means that, on average, each civil servant took 8.4 working days off due to sickness last year, an increase from 8.2 days the previous year. The analysis highlights concerns about a broader 'sick-note epidemic' in the UK, with 11 million 'fit notes' issued in England last year to assess an individual's ability to work.
The Department for Work and Pensions, tasked with helping individuals return to work from sickness benefits, saw its own sickness rates increase by 19 percent. The department reported that as of March 31, 2026, there were 4,134 absences, representing 4.4% of its workforce, up from 3.7% the year prior.
The Home Office recorded an average of 8.37 working days lost per staff member due to sickness, a 13% increase from 7.4 days the previous year. The Environment department also saw an 18% rise, with employees losing an average of 6.2 days to sickness, up from 5.25 days.
At the Ministry of Defence, mental and behavioral disorders were identified as the leading cause of sickness absence, accounting for 30% of all absences. The department reported that 51% of staff had no sick absence during the year ending March 31, 2026, with each staff member averaging nearly seven days off sick.
The Transport department also experienced an increase, with an average of six days lost per staff member. Mental ill health was noted as the primary cause of long-term absence within this department. Sickness rates also rose in the Energy, Business and Science, Technology, and Treasury departments. Conversely, the Foreign Office and Culture and Housing departments saw a decrease in sickness rates.
This surge in absences occurs despite the Civil Service workforce expanding to 520,000 as of April, a notable increase from 384,000 before the 2016 Brexit referendum. Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had previously expressed that 'too many' civil servants were content with 'managed decline' and pledged to improve efficiency and productivity.
Conservative opposition figures have criticized the trend. Mike Wood, the Tories' Shadow Cabinet Office minister, stated, 'Labour have repeatedly promised to tackle worklessness and have instead built a Whitehall that signs itself off, with the bill landing on taxpayers.' He added that a Conservative government would aim to reduce the Civil Service size and cut waste.
Shimeon Lee, a policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance, commented, 'The Whitehall blob cannot preach welfare reform while its own sickness rates are surging.' He urged ministers to address sickness in Whitehall, improve management, and ensure taxpayer money is not supporting a 'culture of drift and decline.'
A government spokesperson responded by stating that ONS data indicates the Civil Service has sickness rates comparable to the private sector. The government also noted that it employs various measures to keep staff in work and facilitate their return after illness.