Employees in the age bracket of 30-49 are suffering from the worst health and wellbeing in the workforce, taking more sick days than any other age group.

New research from AXA PPP healthcare has revealed that middle aged workers take more sick days than any other age group; they have averaged 2.3 sick days in the past six months. A quarter of these workers have taken at least 3 or 4 days off sick. Furthermore, twelve per cent of this middle age group have taken the equivalent of a working week off sick (5 or 6 days) in the past six months – this is double the number of 18-29 year olds (6 per cent) and just 5 per cent of those 50-69.

Other key findings from the research included:

Middle aged workers are not taking positive steps to help ensure good health. One in five 30-49 year olds regularly skip meals altogether five or more days per week compared with 15 per cent of 18-29 year olds and just 8 per cent of those aged 50-69

These workers also demonstrate a fairly negative outlook with regards to their jobs. Fifteen per cent of 30-49 year olds feel they don’t have a career path, and 29 per cent of 30-49 year olds say they feel as if their career path has reached a plateau.

Twenty-seven per cent of middle aged workers – the most of any age group – feel as if their employment situation does not allow them to pursue their top life priorities.

Also, 38 per cent of middle aged workers feel stressed all or most of the time. The chief causes of stress for this age group are: financial worries (43 per cent) and pressure from or worries about work (41 and 38 per cent, respectively). Thirty-seven per cent of workers in their 30s say they feel older than their years.

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