Almost four in ten UK adults (39%) say they have put their health at risk at work because they could not afford to take time off, according to research commissioned by law firm Simpson Millar.
The findings underline a practical challenge for HR teams: a policy encouraging people to raise concerns may not be enough when employees fear the financial consequences of stepping away from work.
Concerns do not always lead to changes
The Censuswide survey of 2,000 UK consumers found that 30% had raised concerns at work about something they believed could cause a physical injury. Among those who had raised a concern, 36% said no changes were made.
The research records respondents’ experiences and perceptions; it does not establish how often particular working conditions caused an injury.
“Nobody should feel they have to put their health at risk simply because they can't afford to take time away from work, but these figures show that is already happening.”
Matthew Trusch, Personal Injury team, Simpson Millar
Why it matters for employers
For HR teams, the findings are a prompt to check whether employees understand their sickness absence arrangements and know how to report a safety concern. Explaining what action follows a report can be as important as providing a channel to make it.
Managers should avoid treating attendance as a simple measure of commitment. A conversation about barriers to taking time off can reveal problems that an absence dashboard alone will miss.
About the research: Censuswide surveyed 2,000 UK consumers between 19 and 22 June 2026 for Simpson Millar. The sample was described as nationally representative. Percentages about employers making changes relate only to respondents who said they had raised a concern.
Image: editorial illustration created for Onrec.
