WELLBEING Looking beyond the numbers on staff absence
MARK SOLOMONS, founder of triple ERA Award-winning Welbee, an on-line evaluation and staff wellbeing improvement tool, and Edu Intelligence, the first AI tool delivering data analytics and recommended actions from combining stakeholder feedback and wider school data, shares his insights into reducing staff absence.
Another factor can be a lack of strategic leadership on wellbeing. It is often delegated to a single leader or a committee rather than being a core part of the overall strategy.
Finally, there may be a sense of resignation. Some leaders feel that workload and stress are simply an unavoidable part of the job and that little can be done to change it.
Moving from reactive to proactive To genuinely address staff absence and wider wellbeing, we have to stop reacting to the symptoms and start addressing the root causes. This requires a strategic, data-driven approach, integrated into the core of the school or trust. It means: • Measuring what matters: It’s difficult to fix what you do not measure or track. Using an anonymous and effectively targeted staff wellbeing survey allows you to go beyond individual stories and gain a clear, factual picture of staff morale. To break down feedback into key areas like workload, leadership, and communication, giving you a detailed understanding of where the problems exist and what to do about it.
S taff absence is more than an
administrative inconvenience; it is a clear signal of the pressures within our schools and trusts.
The latest ‘Health and wellbeing at work’ report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth (2025) provides a stark national picture. It shows an average of 9.4 days of sickness absence per employee, up from 7.8 days in 2024, and the highest figure in over a decade. The public sector, which includes education, is particularly affected, with an average of 13.3 days per employee.
The reasons behind the data
The CIPD report identifies mental ill-health as the leading cause of long-term absence, and the second main cause of short-term absence, after minor illnesses. This aligns with what we have seen in education-specific data for years. The Education Support Teacher Wellbeing Index (2024) found that more than three-quarters of teachers and school leaders report feeling stressed, and a third have experienced a mental health issue within the last year.
A combination of factors are likely to be driving this, and continue to wear down our staff: • Workload: the National Education Union (NEU) survey (2025) of more than 14000 teachers found that almost two-thirds feel stressed more than 60% of the time, and three-
quarters say they frequently cannot switch off from work when they are at home. The survey also showed that many staff work evenings and weekends, with a third of respondents frequently cancelling plans to manage their workload.
• It’s not just about teachers or time in the classroom: It includes all staff and the burden of data collection, unnecessary administration, and an accountability system that often feels built on a lack of trust.
• The relentless pace: an educator’s day is a constant stream of interaction, problem- solving, and emotional effort. There is often little time to pause or recharge. This pace, combined with the increasing complexity of pupil needs and behaviour, is exhausting. The Education Support report confirms that an increase in challenging pupil behaviour has a direct negative impact on staff mental health
The unchanging problem
We know the data and in many cases understand the causes, yet the problem continues, and 50% of leaders believe the actions their organisation currently takes will have no impact (CIPD). Part of the issue is often a reliance on generic, reactive solutions. Many trusts or schools rightly have an Employee Assistance Programme, though these are often under-used. They may also offer a few wellness sessions or briefings and believe these address the issue. While not without value, they are insufficient to address the problems making staff unwell in the first place.
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• Leading with empathy and purpose: Leaders must model the behaviour they want to see. This means setting boundaries, being open about their own challenges, and showing that they value people over procedures. It also means having open, honest conversations about what is causing stress and working with staff to find solutions.
• Addressing the workload reality: Aspects of workload can be reduced or removed without negatively impacting student outcomes. This requires a brave, honest review of all the tasks staff are asked to do. Challenge each one and ask, “does it deliver an impact for students or staff that is greater than the work needed to deliver it.” And of course how we adopt safe AI tools and processes will have a profound impact. This needs to be successfully led and should form a part of any leader’s strategy.
• Investing in psychological safety: Staff must feel safe to express concerns, admit mistakes, and ask for help without fear of negative consequences. A school with a strong culture of psychological safety will see lower absence rates, higher staff retention, and a more engaged workforce.
The challenge of staff absence is significant. What will you do differently, so we see different statistics in 2026 reports? Creating capacity to think about your approach and placing people at the centre of your strategy is going to be key. We can build trusts and schools where staff not only endure, but truly thrive.
For further information and practical advice, visit:
https://welbee.co.uk
October 2025
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