Sickness absence, unnecessary redundancies, burnout and early exits or retirement drive recruitment spend, agency cover and degrade institutional knowledge.
High absence and staff churn undermine continuity in vital public services. Without appropriately trained, qualified and experienced people our public services simply can't operate.
Public services are under immense pressure. Rising long-term sickness, low return-to-work rates, and a lack of bursaries or support for those in training are fuelling a critical workforce crisis. Staff shortages are pushing remaining teams to breaking point — driving burnout, early exits, and a shift toward agency work. In some professions, the pipeline is drying up altogether. We urgently need to protect the people we have — and invest in training the next generation by creating compassionate and loyal cultures that people want to stay in.