01st July 2010 How much did the swine flu pandemic cost UK employers?

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The absence data collected by FirstCare shows that in 2008 the UK lost 1025 days per thousand employees to cough, cold and flu related absence costing UK employers approximately £6.4bn.

In 2009 this figure increased to 3075 days lost per thousand employees because of coughs, colds and flu. This would have cost the UK employers around £19.2bn. The clear difference in these figures comes from the increased incidence of this type of absence due to swine flu.  The direct cost of swine flu to UK employers can be estimated at 12.8bn in 2009.

Significant peaks in cough, cold and flu absences were observed in July and October of 2009.  There is a direct correlation between these peaks and the global announcement of escalating pandemic levels.  This suggests that these absences are more likely to relate to media coverage rather than a specific increase in actual swine flu cases in the UK.