Although not an official day, National Sickie Day was popularised in 2011 following data showing a surge in absences on the first Monday of February—and National Sickie Day was born.
If you need support on how to tackle sickness, we have a free written warning template that you can download here.
What is National Sickie Day
As discussed, it isn’t an official day, it’s more of a tongue-in-cheek date that’s gained momentum in the media.
However, it is supported by data. So, what’s the cause behind employees being more likely to call in sick this on specific date?
Here are some possible reasons:
- A return to work following the festive period
- Cold, gloomy weather is prevalent (this might be Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- It’s the first weekend following Dry January—staff could be hungover!
When is National Sickie Day?
National Sickie Day is on the first Monday in February. This year, that’ll be the 2nd of February. And whilst it’s intended as a humorous day, employers might want to be diligent when it comes to absenteeism.
What’s the cost of National Sickie Day to employers?
Be it financial or from a productivity perspective, unplanned absenteeism has serious ramifications for UK businesses. The following statistics are taken from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE):
- Last year, 1.9 million workers suffered with work-related ill health
- In 2025, 730,000 workers experienced a new case of work-related ill health
- Almost 36 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health last year
What can employers do to mitigate absences?
Despite National Sickie Day’s light-hearted nature, it’s essential that employers don’t overlook the possible and very serious reasons behind genuine absences.
Given that there’s still a stigma attached to mental health struggles, staff may use cold symptoms as a guise to avoid discussing their challenges.
Mental health and stress-related issues are key drivers behind absenteeism, as shown by these HSE figures:
- It was reported that 964,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety last year
- Workers had a new case of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2025
- Around 22.1 million working days were lost in 2025 due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety
An effective way for employers to support the wellbeing of their staff is by offering an award-winning employee assistance programme (EAP).
Unsure how to handle staff sickness?
Peninsula has over 40 years’ HR and H&S safety experience. Whatever your business needs, you can be confident you’ll be getting exceptional service.
For our free written warning template, click here. For other HR and Health & Safety requirements, contact us today.
