Absenteeism in the insurance industry has reached very high levels, according to figures released by absence management company Direct Health Solutions.

Its 2010 Absence Management Survey highlights a record number of Australian sickies in the last year, up 5% to peak at an average of 9.87 days per employee per annum – up from 9.3 days 12 months ago.

The report shows by far the worst results in insurance, banking and financial services, where absences from work shot up 22%, or two days per employee, to 11.1 days.

By contrast to the insurance sector, public sector absence levels fell, for the second year in a row, to 9.9 days. The average target employers set for employee absence was seven days per worker a year.

Illness accounted for 75% of all unplanned absences; carers’ leave for 15% and other types of personal leave for 10%.

Direct Health Solutions surveyed 129 organisations across Australia between February and May this year.