Nearly seven in 10 UK employees pretend to be well at work when they are not, according to research conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Lime Health.

A total of 69% of employees surveyed said that they “sometimes” pretend to be well when ill at work. This is a much higher proportion compared with previous research conducted in 2021, in which only 51% said the same.  

Of these, 34% of employees surveyed said that they “often or always” pretend to be well while sick at work.

Key reasons for the rise in what Lime Health refers to as “pleasanteeism” are money worries (49%), a lack of understanding from management (26%), and negative stigma around health (19%).

The research also suggests that pleasanteeism can have a negative effect on productivity – 61% of those surveyed said that their performance declined when they were unwell, while over a third (36%) of HR leaders said that addressing hidden health challenges was now a top workforce priority.

“It’s deeply concerning, though not surprising, to see pleasanteeism rise from just over half of the workforce to nearly 70% in only a few years,” said Shaun Williams, Founder and CEO of Lime Health. “When so many people feel compelled to hide how they’re really feeling at work, it tells us the issue isn’t simply absence, it’s what’s happening while people are still present.”

Williams added: “This kind of unseen health strain is largely invisible to employers, yet it has a very real impact on performance, engagement, and long-term workforce sustainability. What this research makes clear is that employers aren’t ignoring workforce health, and in fact, many are actively trying to address it. The real challenge is the lack of clear, actionable insight into what’s actually working.”

In Hong Kong, there has been a sharp rise in the cost of employee health insurance.