New Gallup Poll: The Cost of Absenteeism Adds Up

Absenteeism costs employers $24.2 billion in lost productivity, according to a Gallup poll released on May 7. The polling organization counted unhealthy days by asking survey takers about how often poor health kept them from doing usual activities and going to work. Of the 14 types of occupations Gallup surveyed, 77 percent of workers were either above normal weight or had been diagnosed with at least one chronic condition. Transportation workers were the most likely to be overweight or have a chronic condition, while physicians were the least likely.

Gallup calculated unhealthy days using respondents' answers to the question, "During the past 30 days, for about how many days did poor health keep you from doing your usual activities?" and "How many actual work days in the last month did you not work due to poor health?" As employers increasingly engage in improving the health of their workers, substantial potential savings remain on the table from getting more employees to work each day as their health improves over time.