How are organisations handling absence management in 2026?
An increase in absence levels are often one of the first indicators that something might not be quite right in a workforce. They can be a sign of rising stress, burnout, disengagement or long-term health issues. These are all areas that are firmly on HR’s radar, but especially so as we look ahead to how employers are preparing to handle absence management in 2026.
Our recent HR Trends in 2026, According to HR report revealed that many HR leaders are approaching absence management with a strong sense of cautious optimism over the next 12 months.
Most of the HR professionals that we surveyed expect their organisation’s absence rates to either stay the same or decrease slightly this year, with many pointing to planning wellbeing initiatives and hopes of a reduction in long-term sickness, which has been especially high in the UK in recent years.
Despite that, if we dig a little deeper, the picture changes.
While confidence in outcomes is relatively high, with added priority given to employee wellbeing for many employers, confidence in capability is not as positive. Only a small proportion of HR leaders tell us they are feeling “very confident” that their organisation has the right tools and data in place to truly manage absence, and understand the root cause of it.
For many, absence tracking is still fragmented, inconsistent, or manual – making it harder to move from reactive action to proactive prevention.
This gap between confidence and capability is important. With reliable data and clear absence processes, HR teams are limited in their ability to spot trends, support managers effectively, and connect absence patterns to wider wellbeing initiatives.
This means that absence management in 2026 will need to be smarter, more joined-up and more insight-driven. Organisations that invest in absence management software can gain greater clarity, consistency and visibility over their teams, making them much better placed to support employee wellbeing.
Download our full HR Trends in 2026, According to HR report now to explore how HR leaders are approached absence management challenges, and where they’re focussing their efforts in the year ahead.
