It builds on previous research suggesting presenteeism was far worse a problem than absenteeism – people taking sick leave.
Employees now lose the equivalent of 44 days of productivity on average because of working through sickness, up from 35 days in 2018, according to the IPPR.
Staff lose a further 6.7 days taking sick leave, up from 3.7 days in 2018, the report says.
Workers in the UK are among the least likely to take sick days, especially compared with other OECD and European countries. They are more likely to turn up at work while sick.
Costs of presenteeism cited by the IPPR include the impact on individual productivity and recovery time from short-term illness, making bad work decisions, and making colleagues sick – known as “contagious presenteeism”.
The IPPR report finds that those with the lowest education levels and income, less skilled occupations and minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to work through sickness.
In addition the IPPR says: “Throughout this report, we ascribe the cost of sickness to the structure of society and the economy, including workplaces. In line with the social model of disability, we do not believe that costs emerge from people's difference - but rather, the barriers society then creates.”
The IPPR points out that the UK working-age population is increasingly likely to have a long-term condition – this is accentuated by having an ageing workforce and a rising state pension age.
This means that workplaces that work for people with health conditions will grow in importance in the coming decades – and that is likely to require change by employers.
Dr Jamie O’Halloran, a senior research fellow at the IPPR said: “Too often, UK workers are being pressured to work through sickness when that’s not appropriate – harming their wellbeing and reducing productivity.
“This can be because of a bad workplace culture, poor management, financial insecurity or just weak understanding of long-term conditions among UK employers.
“Our demonstration of a ‘hidden’ productivity cost of working through sickness should catalyse a change in approach.
“We should strive to make sure the work we do is good for our health, that we have the time to recover when we need it, and to ensure businesses both contribute to and benefit from population health.”
Ken Butler DR UK’s Welfare Rights and Policy Adviser said: “Politicians increasingly label Disabled people as “economically inactive”, who need to seek and gain employment as “work is good for you”.
“The onus being on Disabled people to take action.
“But the systemic reasons for the disability employment gap of almost 30 percentage points are many, including negative employer attitudes, discriminatory recruitment practices, discrimination in the workplace.
“Societal barriers include inadequate social care, inaccessible housing and transport, and lack of targeted employment support.
“One of the most serious barriers to Disabled people staying in and gaining work is employers refusing to implement the reasonable adjustments required to make working environments accessible.
“The lack of accountability of public and private employers, can lead to employers failing to implement their duties under the Equality Act.
“The onus is then left on the disabled employee to advocate for their rights in an unequal environment.
“What the IPPR report shows is consequences of employers poor practices in relation to caring for the health of their to their workers, so much so that they feel pressurised to work while ill.”
The Disability Confident employer scheme is completely inadequate.
This is shown be the fact that you can have Leader Status under the scheme and not employ a single Disabled person.
For Disabled people to obtain safe, secure and long-lasting work the Government needs to implement the Disability Employment Charter to address the disadvantage Disabled people will otherwise face in their working lives.
The IPPR report Healthy Industry, Prosperous Economy is available from ippr.org.