Politicians demand action on average 14 sick days per civil servant every year in Northern Ireland
Politicians have demanded action after it was revealed that the average civil servant has 14 days of sick leave every year – a significant increase on last year.
Sickness absence in the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) has grown to an average 13.9 days lost per staff member in a year, a new report has found.
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) report found that this equated to around £56 million in direct salary cost.
Anxiety, stress, depression and psychiatric Illnesses accounted for the greatest proportion of working days lost in 2025/2026, at 43.6%.
The report said that the average days lost per staff year had risen from 13.4 days in 2024/25 to 13.9 in 2025/26.
In salary terms, NISRA said this equated to an estimated £56 million in direct salary cost – equivalent to 4.1% of the total NICS pay bill in 2025/2026.
The report said that almost three out of five staff (58.5%) had no recorded sickness absence in 2025/2026 – an increase from 57.6% the previous year.
One in every eight staff (14.0%) had at least one spell of long-term absence – lasting around three months on average.
Around one quarter of civil servants in NI are 55 and over - which accounted for the largest contribution to working days lost; more than 15% in this category had at least one spell of long-term sickness absence, defined as 20 consecutive days.
DUP Finance spokesperson Diane Forsythe MLA said the figures should concern everyone.
"Losing 13.9 working days per staff member at a direct salary cost of £56m is simply unsustainable," she added.
"The fact that mental health conditions account for almost 44% of days lost underlines the need for earlier intervention and better support for staff."
Throughout the past year she repeatedly raised concerns about NISRA and the Department of Finance about sickness absence figures.
The issue must be monitored regularly, reported transparently and managed effectively or problems "cannot be identified or addressed," she added.
UUP MLA Dr Steve Aiken said the high figures are a challenge to the delivery of public services. The figures for the Department of Justice, in particular, also highlight that problems affecting Prison Staff still remain and that the department "isn't prioritising” their health, he said.
Based on witnesses he has seen at the Finance Committee, he said the entire Civil Service HR system is “sub-optimal, to put it politely”.
Instead of fixing absence problems, it appears "mired in process, with no identifiable leadership to fix the problems".
The committee was told that a series of reforms would resolve ongoing problems. "It is fairly safe to say that it isn't working," he added.
TUV economy spokesman and Newry and Armagh Assembly candidate Councillor Keith Ratcliffe said the figures are “simply shocking”.
He added: “Anyone can get sick and those who are genuinely unwell always deserve sympathy and understanding. However the idea that the average worker should be off sick for a fortnight every year beggars belief. Any private sector employer with sickness levels like that would be asking serious questions. Why should the taxpayer be treated differently?”