London workers are among the UK’s most likely to hide their illness at work on a regular basis, according to research from Lime Health, with the capital recording the third-highest rate of regular pleasanteeism nationwide.

The findings highlight the continued rise in Pleasanteeism: the pressure employees feel to appear fine at work despite physical or mental ill-health. Lime Health’s research suggests the issue is costing UK businesses tens of billions of pounds each year in lost productivity.

Separately, the survey also finds that more than six in ten Londoners are either considering or have already quit their jobs, reflecting the growing strain many employees feel.

Lime Health’s national survey of the UK workforce finds that 39% of Londoners admit to always or often pretending to be well at work. When those who say they ‘sometimes’ pretend to be well are included, the figure rises to 71%.

London’s workforce mirrors a concerning national trend, where cases of pleasanteeism have risen sharply from 51% of UK workers when Lime Health first uncovered the problem in its 2021 survey.

The most common reason given by Londoners for hiding their illness at work is money worries, with half of those doing so for this reason. Twenty four percent of respondents also say they hide their illness due to a lack of understanding from their manager over their health condition, while the stigma around being unwell at work was named as a reason by 19% of respondents.

Worryingly, 18% of London-based employees also say they work through their hidden health conditions due to poor access to support, at a time when routine GP appointments can often take around 10 days.

Lime Health says its findings point to a growing challenge for employers: while awareness of the problem is increasing, confidence in how to address it is not. Many organisations still lack meaningful data and visibility into workforce health, making it difficult to understand what is driving risk, assess which interventions are effective, or invest with confidence.

Shaun Williams, Founder and CEO of Lime Health, said: “It’s deeply concerning, though not surprising, to see pleasanteeism prevalent among more than 70% of the London workforce. When we first uncovered this problem in our equivalent 2021 survey, 51% of UK workers admitted to hiding their illness at work, so it has risen sharply in just a few years.

“This kind of hidden ill-health is largely invisible to employers, yet it has a very real impact on performance, engagement and long-term workforce sustainability. Our research also shows that Londoners estimate their productivity decreases by 10% on average when working through illness and awaiting health treatment.”

Londoners also say the rate of errors they commit at work increases by around 25% if they are working with a hidden illness. At a national level, the economic impact is substantial. UK Government estimates suggest ill health and lost productivity cost the economy £85 billion each year, with pleasanteeism alone accounting for an estimated £21 billion in lost output.

The findings form part of Lime Health’s wider work to improve workforce health outcomes.