The cost of worker illness and injury across Britain

Data published from HSE in November 2023*, reports £7.2 billion is lost annually to reduced productivity caused by worker illness and injury in Britain. Whilst there can be a long list of causes which impact both injury and illness at work, the report suggested the biggest factor was workplace environments themselves.

To highlight the impact illness and injury has on both businesses and individuals, Horizon Platforms has analysed data to look at the cost of workplace injury and illness per region, comparing costs against estimated population sizes for each.

Across the estimated costs of workplace illness and injury per year, totalling £20.7bn,  £7.7bn costs are made up of workplace injuries and £13.1bn is accounted for sickness. The same report estimates £12.2bn of the £20.7bn total will be paid for by individuals, in loss of earnings and other losses from workplace sickness. The remaining £8.5bn is paid for by a split of businesses and government funding from taxpayers. Take a look at the regional estimated costs below:

The cost per region

Scotland

Cost of ill health (£m): 1219

Cost of injury (£m): 681

A report focussing on Scotland’s data** found 59% of illness cases related to workplace stress or anxiety, underlining the importance for proper support in the workplace. Additionally, 24% of cases involved musculoskeletal disorders. Such disorders frequently result from activities like heavy lifting, machinery vibration, overhead tasks, or repetitive forceful movements.

North East

Cost of ill health (£m): 419

Cost of injury (£m): 231

The North East region reports the lowest expenses for work-related ill health and injuries, likely due to its smaller population size compared to other regions. Despite this, a December 2023 ONS study reveals that North East workers have a higher tendency to take sick leave. However, the region’s lower population means this has a minimal effect on the overall costs calculated by the HSE.

North West

Cost of ill health (£m): 1460

Cost of injury (£m): 781

The North West incurs the highest costs for work-related injuries and illnesses in the north of Britain, surpassing even Scotland in both areas for estimated costs. The region also ranks second highest in all of Britain for costs relating to worker ill health. As the UK’s third most populous region, this somewhat accounts for these higher costs compared to smaller regions. However, despite a smaller population than the South East,the North West reports higher costs relating to worker illness.

Yorkshire & the Humber

Cost of ill health (£m): 1127

Cost of injury (£m): 472

Yorkshire and the Humber face significant workplace illness and injury costs, ranking sixth in Britain with an estimated £1127 million for work-related absence. However, the region has relatively low injury expenses, only surpassed by Wales and the North East of England.

Wales

Cost of ill health (£m): 531

Cost of injury (£m): 311

In Britain, Wales ranks second for the lowest combined costs of illness and injury. This is associated with its status as having the second smallest population in the region. Annually, the financial impact of workplace sickness and injury in Wales is approximately £842 million.

West Midlands

Cost of ill health (£m): 908

Cost of injury (£m): 732

The West Midlands holds a mid-range position in terms of the total regional costs for illness and injury within Britain. As the fifth largest region by population, it incurs the sixth highest expenses in the categories for illness and injury. This indicates a marginally lower cost rate for its population.

East Midlands

Cost of ill health (£m): 838

Cost of injury (£m): 510

Despite having a smaller population compared to other regions, the East Midlands reports a disproportionately high level of costs from workplace injuries relative to its population size. It is the ninth most populous of the eleven British regions, yet it ranks eighth in terms of the cost of worker injury and illness.

London

Cost of ill health (£m): 1690

Cost of injury (£m): 960

Given its high population density, it’s unsurprising that London incurs substantial costs related to workplace sickness and injury. With a population of 8.86 million (as of 2022), the estimated total costs for London illness and injury are around £2.65 billion. London ranks highest for costs relating to worker illness and second highest for injury costs in Britain.

East

Cost of ill health (£m): 802

Cost of injury (£m): 642

In the East of England, the annual cost attributed to employee sickness and injury is estimated at £1444m, which is modest in comparison to its substantial population size. Despite having the fourth highest population in the UK, the region ranks seventh in terms of expenses related to worker injuries and ninth for costs associated with illnesses.

South East

Cost of ill health (£m): 1413

Cost of injury (£m): 981

Although the South East’s population surpasses that of London, numbering approximately 9.38 million in 2022, it holds the second position in terms of the overall costs stemming from worker illness and injury. The region incurs the greatest expenses in the UK for worker injuries, yet it is second only to London regarding costs related to worker illnesses.

South West

Cost of ill health (£m): 1345

Cost of injury (£m): 812

The South West, while being the sixth most populous region in England, ranks as the fourth highest in Britain for the aggregate costs of worker illness and injury. It is positioned as the fourth highest for estimated costs of illness and the third highest for injury expenses among all regions. The total estimated costs for both illness and injury amount to approximately £2157m.

* data from HSE November 2023 report

** https://www.littlegreenbutton.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/scotland-statistics.pdf