SD Worx survey finds one in five Irish employees admit to absenteeism and misusing leave policies

SD Worx Ireland, a leading payroll and HR solutions provider, has announced the results of its latest survey which reveals one in five (21%) employees in Ireland confess to misusing leave policies and taking absences without a valid reason. However, 40% claim their team is experiencing issues related to employee absenteeism – suggesting employees are not owning up to it, or their colleagues are overly suspicious.

The independent study was carried out by iVOX on behalf of SD Worx and surveyed 1,000 employees in Ireland to gain insights into the current job market and the concerns amongst today’s workforces. Additionally, it exposes some common grievances among employees in Ireland and found that almost half (49%) feel they are underpaid for the work that they do.

It also suggests that employees are feeling overworked, with 46% saying that their team is facing staff shortages and struggling to keep up with their current workload. This increases to nearly half (48%) of employees who expect their team to face worsening talent shortages over the coming years. Compounding these challenges, 43% of employees believe their team’s skills gap cannot be easily filled. Despite this, 44% say they are strict with their workloads and schedules, solely focusing on what is necessary and not working overtime.

Amidst these rising pressures, the survey found that 44% of employees in Ireland are currently looking for a new job, but 60% of those surveyed admit that it is difficult to find a job within the labour market right now. However, 63% of employees are motivated and passionate about their work, while 62% say that they would recommend their organisation to a friend looking for a job.

Eimear Byrne, Country Leader, SD Worx Ireland, said: “This research highlights a growing sense of dissatisfaction among Ireland’s workforce. With 39% of respondents saying their manager struggles with effective leadership, it’s clear that many employees feel they’re lacking valuable guidance and mentorship. As a result, we are now seeing a knock-on effect with more people actively seeking to change jobs and widespread concerns about staff shortages, as well as underpayment. This comes as the EU Pay Transparency Directive is due to be transposed into Irish law in June 2026 – if done right, this could be an opportunity to alleviate employees’ pay concerns and help to build trust.

“Ireland is at full employment and organisations are facing a critical need to re-evaluate how they engage and support employees. The changing economic landscape is making businesses more conservative and they are under increased pressure to keep operations running smoothly, while trying to retain talent. With skills shortages and rising absenteeism in the mix, it’s becoming harder to strike that balance. Now is the time to invest in people strategies and provide employees with the support, development opportunities, and workplace culture they need to thrive. This will allow businesses to secure and retain top tier talent while also building more resilient and engaged workforces for the future.”

See more stories here.