Absence management is an important part of workforce planning, employee wellbeing and HR compliance. According to CIPD and Simplyhealth research on workplace absence, UK employees were off sick for an average of 9.4 days in the previous 12 months, up from 7.8 days in 2023 and 5.8 days before the pandemic. This makes accurate absence recording, early intervention and consistent return-to-work processes increasingly important for employers.
The following list is in no particular order. Each provider has been reviewed based on publicly available information about its absence management software or service, case studies where available, and customer feedback where this could be found.
If you want to view the data we used when sourcing the top absence management providers, check it out here
1. GoodShape
What GoodShape says about its absence management
GoodShape describes its product as an absence management platform designed to help organisations measure, manage and reduce employee absence. Its absence management software includes absence management, assessments, digital self-care tools, data analytics, predictive AI and configurable workflows.
GoodShape also says its software gives employees a simpler way to report absence through an app, while also enabling them to access support from a clinical team to help them return to work sooner.
Absence management service focus
GoodShape is particularly focused on enterprise absence management, employee health support and data-led absence reduction. Its product information positions the platform for employers that need structured reporting, clinical support and consistency across large workforces.
Case study
GoodShape has a strong case study library. One relevant example isWatford Borough Council, where GoodShape says it helped reduce absence by 44%. The case study also refers to improved return-to-work interview compliance and better tracking of line manager decisions linked to absence policy alerts.
GoodShape also has Philips case study material, where it says Philips moved from an ad hoc absence reporting approach to a more proactive and consistent model, with access to clearer absence data.
What customers say
GoodShape has limited public customer review volume across G2, Capterra, Gartner and GetApp in the review comparison. The stronger public customer evidence comes from its case studies and testimonials rather than third-party review sites. Its case study library includes customer feedback describing GoodShape as a valuable tool for managing attendance across a business.
Why they could be a good fit
GoodShape could suit larger employers that want more than a basic absence tracker. It is likely to be most relevant for organisations looking for day-one absence reporting, clinical support, absence analytics and structured intervention workflows.
2. edays
What edays says about its absence management
edays describes itself as a web-based absence management software solution that helps organisations manage employee leave and sickness more effectively. Its G2 profiledescribes the platform as a way to streamline absence, leave and sickness management.
Its own case study hub positions edays as a provider for employers that need better visibility of employee absence, holiday and leave across different business types and locations.
Absence management service focus
edays appears especially relevant for employers replacing manual absence processes, spreadsheets or paper forms. Its case studies focus on visibility, reporting, sickness absence tracking, global leave management, trigger alerts and easier self-service for managers and employees.
Case study
edays has several absence-focused case studies. In the Lloyd Ltd case study, the company says Lloyd previously relied on paper forms for absence management before moving to edays.
Another relevant example is Monster Energy, where edays says a company-wide sickness management policy was built into the system with triggers and alerts for managers and HR, helping ensure the correct absence processing policies were followed.
What customers say
Public reviews are relatively strong compared with most providers in this list. G2 reviews for edays mention the platform helping users move away from manual tracking and confusion around leave balances, while Capterra reviews highlight ease of use, personalisation and helpful support.
Why they could be a good fit
edays could be a strong fit for organisations that need a dedicated absence and leave management system rather than a broad HR platform. It may be particularly useful for employers with multi-site, international or policy-heavy absence requirements.
3. The Access Group
What The Access Group says about its absence management
The Access Group offers absence management software for medium and large businesses. Its product page says the software uses intelligent automation to reduce admin, support compliance and provide instant answers to absence queries through embedded AI and predictive analytics. It also highlights employee self-service, real-time dashboards, mobile access and people analytics.
Access TeamSeer is also listed as a complete absence and holiday management product designed to save time, reduce absence costs, improve employee experience and provide clearer absence visibility.
Absence management service focus
The Access Group’s absence management offer is particularly focused on automation, workforce analytics and visibility.Capterra’s Access TeamSeer listingpositions it around absence approvals, absenteeism tracking, holiday management and clearer workforce planning.
Case study
The clearest relevant case study is Hachette UK. The Access Group says Access TeamSeer helped Hachette simplify absence management and improve consistency when managing sickness and holidays. The case study notes that Hachette tested three absence management systems and selected TeamSeer based on functionality, usability and cost. It also highlights monthly trigger reports that prompt HR and managers when employees reach sickness-related thresholds.
What customers say
Customer feedback in the Hachette UK case study highlights TeamSeer as straightforward and easy to use, with minimal training required. Public third-party review evidence is more limited than for edays or Breathe HR, but Capterra and GetApp list Access TeamSeer as an absence management and holiday management product.
Why they could be a good fit
The Access Group could suit medium and larger organisations that want absence management inside a broader HR and workforce management ecosystem. It may be particularly suitable where analytics, automation and integration with wider HR processes are priorities.
4. IRIS Software Group
What IRIS says about its absence management
IRIS says its absence management software can help employers create a fully customised absence management system across their business, particularly for mid-sized and enterprise-sized companies. Its absence management page says the software can reduce admin, support proactive absence management and give managers time back.
IRIS Cascade is also described as a cloud HR system that can streamline HR tasks such as attendance tracking and holiday requests.
Absence management service focus
IRIS is less of a standalone absence specialist and more of a broader HR and payroll provider with absence management functionality. Its fit appears strongest where absence management needs to sit alongside HR records, payroll, reporting, recruitment, employee self-service and compliance workflows.
Case study
IRIS has several broader HR and payroll case studies rather than absence-specific case studies. For example, its Transform Housing & Support case study says Cascade HRi helped the organisation use an integrated HR and payroll system so colleagues could spend more time on client-facing work.
Its MindWise case study also describes IRIS Cascade HRi as a customisable integrated system covering annual leave, payroll, recruitment, training, wellbeing and talent management.
What customers say
Public review volume for IRIS absence-related products was limited in the previous comparison. The closest public review listings vary by product, including IRIS HR Professional and IRIS Cascade HRi. Capterra’s IRIS listingincludes limited review evidence, so this should be treated as a weaker customer feedback sample than providers with larger review volumes.
Why they could be a good fit
IRIS Software Group could suit organisations that want absence management as part of a wider HR and payroll system, especially mid-sized and larger businesses that need configurable workflows, employee self-service and integrated reporting.
5. WorkSmarter
What WorkSmarter says about its absence management
WorkSmarter says its absence management software automates the process of reporting, recording and tracking employee absences across different leave types, helping employers reduce manual effort. It also says information is stored centrally so the right people can access it quickly.
Its staff absence tracker page says managers can see who is away through an absence calendar, with automatic alerts at key points in the absence lifecycle.
Absence management service focus
WorkSmarter appears to focus on simple, accessible HR software for SMEs and growing businesses. Its absence reports content explains how employers can view and report on absence information, with the wider platform also covering holiday planning and HR admin.
Case study
We could not find a formal named absence management case study for WorkSmarter.
However, WorkSmarter does publish customer testimonials. Its homepage includes a testimonial from Premier Sports Network describing the platform as useful for managing staff sickness, annual leave and personal information. Its holiday planner page also includes a testimonial from JLA Resourcing about using WorkSmarter to manage holidays and absences for UK and international teams.
What customers say
Public customer feedback is available through Trustpilot reviews for WorkSmarterand review platforms. Trustpilot results include customers mentioning responsive support, good value and ease of managing holiday and absence in one place. Capterra feedback also mentions useful features, ease of navigation and compliance support, although review volume is low compared with providers such as Breathe HR and edays.
Why they could be a good fit
WorkSmarter could suit SMEs that want a straightforward HR platform with holiday and absence tracking built in. It may be a good fit where ease of use, pricing and practical day-to-day admin are more important than advanced enterprise absence analytics.
6. Honeydew Health
What Honeydew Health says about its absence management
Honeydew Health offers Day-1 absence management, SaaS and occupational health case management solutions. Its website says Day-1 Absence Management gives employers data, visibility and control from the first day of absence, with the aim of reducing absence duration, decreasing absence frequency and supporting data-driven workforce planning.
Honeydew also describes Engage as absence management software that provides real-time data, trend insights and policy tracking tools for managers.
Absence management service focus
Honeydew is more focused on managed absence reporting and early intervention than simple HR record keeping. Its offer includes a 24/7 absence line, Engage dashboards, manager alerts, reporting and absence data consistency.
Case study
Honeydew has several strong absence-specific case studies. Its Vertas case study says Vertas cut absence from around 15% to 3% using Honeydew’s absence reporting, data insights and wellbeing support. The case study highlights a 24/7 absence line, a single point of contact, Engage dashboards and scalable support for more than 300 managers.
Another case study involving a specialist medical care provider says Honeydew’s Day-1 Absence Reporting service was launched across more than 50 sites, giving the organisation more consistent reporting, real-time insight and a better platform for absence decisions.
What customers say
Honeydew has limited public review data across G2, Capterra, Gartner and GetApp, but stronger case-study and testimonial evidence. Its Vertas case study PDF includes customer feedback describing a reduction from a previously estimated 12% to 15% absence rate to around 3%, and refers to Honeydew as responsive to client needs and business changes.
Why they could be a good fit
Honeydew Health could be a strong fit for employers that want a managed Day-1 absence reporting service rather than only a software tool. It may be particularly useful for larger, operational or multi-site workforces where managers need consistent reporting, early intervention and reliable absence data.
7. Breathe HR
What Breathe HR says about its sickness monitoring
Breathe HR offers sickness monitoring software for SMEs. Its sickness monitoring page says the platform helps employers record absence, detect trends, manage sick notes and back-to-work documents, produce absence reports and automatically calculate the Bradford Factor.
Its absence management software page also says Breathe helps employers oversee holiday requests, sickness and other absence types, while giving managers dashboards, calendars and reporting tools.
Absence management service focus
Breathe HR is focused on SME-friendly HR software with absence, sickness and holiday management built into a wider HR platform. Its service is likely to be most relevant for smaller businesses that need to centralise HR records, automate reminders, improve absence visibility and reduce manual admin.
Case study
Breathe has several customer stories. In its Family Law Partners case study, the customer says absence management was a particular challenge and that they needed a system to streamline the process.
Its INASP case study also says the customer found holiday and sickness management useful alongside recruitment, kudos and the employee directory.
What customers say
Breathe has the highest review volume in the comparison spreadsheet. G2 reviews for Breathepraise the platform for ease of use and an intuitive interface, while Capterra reviews describe the software as well laid out and easy to use for HR users, managers and employees. Breathe’s own customer review page also includes comments about quick setup, ease of use and core HR functionality.
Why they could be a good fit
Breathe HR could suit SMEs that need sickness and absence monitoring as part of a broader HR platform. It is likely to be a good fit where ease of use, employee self-service and simple HR admin are key priorities.
8. Activ People HR
What Activ People HR says about its absence management
Activ People HR positions absence management as a way to turn absence records into insight. Its modern absence management guide says stronger reporting and workforce visibility can help businesses move beyond simply counting absence and start identifying patterns by team, role, manager or season.
Capterra’s Activ People HR listingdescribes it as a cloud-based HR software provider with self-service functionality for employees to update personal information and request time off.
Absence management service focus
Activ People HR appears focused on HR software for SMEs and growing organisations that need absence tracking, holiday requests, employee self-service, reporting and compliance workflows. Its review and product material suggests the platform is designed to reduce manual HR admin and improve visibility across everyday people processes.
Case study
We could not find a formal named absence management case study for Activ People HR.
However, Activ People HR publishescustomer reviewson its website. One customer comment says the platform helps them run reports, plot annual leave and manage staff sickness, while also praising help desk responsiveness.
What customers say
G2 reviews for Activ People HR praise the platform for ease of use and customer support, and note that users find its interface helpful for absence tracking and reporting. Trustpilot feedback is more mixed, with customers praising absence, holiday and staff reporting functionality, while some mention disruption following a system update or issues with specific features such as timesheets.
Why they could be a good fit
Activ People HR could suit SMEs that want practical HR software with absence tracking, staff reporting and holiday management. It may be a good fit for teams looking for a cost-conscious HR system, though buyers may want to ask detailed questions about setup, support, reporting and any feature-specific requirements.
Final takeaway
For employers looking specifically for absence management support, the strongest public absence-specific case study evidence appears to come from GoodShape, edays, The Access Group, Honeydew Health and Breathe HR. Honeydew Health stands out for managed Day-1 absence reporting and measurable absence reduction case studies. GoodShape also has strong absence-reduction case study material, particularly for larger employers and public-sector-style workforces.
edays and Access TeamSeer appear well suited to organisations that want dedicated software for leave, sickness and absence visibility. Breathe HR, WorkSmarter and Activ People HR are more SME-oriented, with customer feedback often focused on ease of use, holiday tracking, staff sickness management and admin reduction. IRIS Software Group is better positioned as a wider HR and payroll system with absence management functionality rather than a standalone absence specialist.
For providers with limited public third-party review data, especially GoodShape, Honeydew Health, WorkSmarter and Activ People HR, buyers may want to request client references, sample reports, implementation timelines, support SLAs and examples of absence dashboards before choosing a supplier.
