There are more absentees in the public sector than the private sector and stress is the most common cause of absence, a report has found.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s Absence Survey, which is published today, shows 35% of employers across all sectors have reported that stress-related absence has increased over the past year.

It also says this is the main cause for persistently high levels of long-term public sector absence.

The survey reveals that 73% of manual and 79% of non-manual public sector employers rate stress as a top-five common cause of absence. This compares to an average across all sectors of 51% and 63% respectively.

Average absence as a result is three days higher in the public sector compared to private sector services, at 9.6 days per employee per year compared to 6.6 days.

The survey comes after last Wednesday’s Comprehensive Spending Review, in which chancellor George Osborne highlighted the need for better efficiency and productivity across the public sector.

It shows that public sector employers have already begun to take note, with 77% offering flexible working options to their staff and 68% offering training in stress management.

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