How businesses can avoid ‘significant’ seasonal absenteeism

Last year, there was a big spike in absenteeism in professional services firms in late autumn and early winter, according to an Australian tech company. Avoiding such seasonal fluctuations is critical for workplaces.

How to address staff absenteeism has long been a headline concern for human resources professionals. Seasonal absenteeism is a particularly striking trend, with certain months of the year having proven – for various reasons – to inspire more workplace absences from staff.

Nearly a fortnight ago, HR Leader reported on the expected record rates of absences in the US following the highly anticipated Super Bowl, held earlier this month.

Speaking recently to HR Leader, Deputy chief financial officer Emma Seymour pointed out that Deputy’s data reveals “significant” absenteeism across the sector in 2024, with the sharpest increase occurring between April and May.

In those months, she said, absenteeism surged by 12 per cent, followed by an additional 8 per cent rise in June and July.

This spike, she said, “may be linked to seasonal factors, such as a higher incidence of illness during the colder months”.

“To mitigate similar disruptions in 2025, businesses should proactively implement strategies like advanced scheduling and employee wellbeing initiatives to ensure a resilient and prepared workforce,“ she said.

In the same conversation, Seymour noted that Deputy’s data shows that wages in Australia’s professional services sector “remained steady throughout 2024, with minimal fluctuations”.

“Average hourly pay ranged between AU$34 and $36, indicating consistent remuneration unaffected by external pressures such as cost of living or labour demand,” she said.