These Locations Have the Most Sick Days—Is It Time for AI Employees?

With a million searches made per month for 'sick leave' worldwide, businesses are constantly losing money due to employee absences and consequently seeing a drop in productivity. However, AI employees can negate these issues as they don’t experience sickness or burnout, providing the perfect solution for absent-ridden companies. So, which global locations take the most sick leave, and where could businesses benefit from hiring AI employees, like the ones that Artisan builds?

We analyzed searches for twenty sick leave-related terms employees may search for when calling in sick across UK cities, US states, and countries worldwide. The locations were ranked based on the average number of searches, revealing the places with the highest rates of employees calling in sick and, ultimately, the locations that need to hire AI employees. 

The Countries With the Most Sick Employees 

The United States ranks first as the world’s country most likely to call in sick, with nearly 200,000 yearly searches made for sickness-related terms nationwide. With 4,440 monthly searches for "how to call in sick" and 1,900 for "what to say when calling in sick," the data indicates that many Americans may be taking time off for reasons beyond illness. As a result, American businesses should assess employee attendance patterns and consider hiring artisans to mitigate productivity challenges caused by absenteeism. 

The United Kingdom ranks second, with 126,240 searches per year. Despite having a much smaller population than the US, the UK showcases just 45% fewer searches, raising huge concerns about how much time employees need and are taking off. With 1,900 for "how to call in sick" annually, it’s clear UK businesses should begin to question the honesty of employee leave and assess the productivity of having human workers vs AI ones.

Austria follows closely behind with 125,640 annual searches for sick-related terms. However, Austrian workers seem more transparent about their sick leave, with an average of 9,900 monthly searches for "how to call in work due to illness”. This suggests that Austrians may be more upfront about their need for time off, though it could also indicate a higher frequency of illness or burnout. Artisans, who work around the clock, can reduce burnout-related absences and be an excellent solution for Austrian companies. 

The country least likely to call in sick is Iceland, where just 1,200 searches are made per year for sick-related terms. This is significantly less than the other countries and shows a high commitment to work from employees here. Chile and Costa Rica follow, with 1,920 searches made retrospectively. 

The US States With the Most Sick Employees

California tops the list of US states for sick leave-related searches, with an average of 34,200 queries made annually. Notably, 10,560 of these searches are for “how to call in sick,” and 4,680 for “what to say when calling in sick,” suggesting that the state's vibrant culture, fueled by attractions like Disneyland and Hollywood, may be contributing to employees taking sick leave for reasons other than illness. To address this, businesses in California could benefit from hiring Artisans, as they won’t take time off for activities like visiting Erewhon.

Texas ranks second with significantly fewer searches, approximately half the number of Californias. The state is better behaved when attending work, however, workers here still show a high dishonesty when calling in sick. Texans search extensively for “how to call in sick” (7,080 yearly) and “sick leave policy” (1,680 yearly), suggesting even if they aren’t unwell, they take a pragmatic approach to taking time off, weighing potential income loss. Texas businesses could address this by tightening policies or researching the benefits of hiring Artisans to mitigate business loss. 

In contrast, states like Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming show much lower sick leave-related searches (around 1,200 annually). This may indicate a correlation between employee well-being and living in more rural, nature-rich areas. The data, therefore, suggests that bigger built-up cities could benefit the most from hiring digital workers as these employees are taking more time off and experiencing more illness.

The US States Taking the Most Fake Sick Leave

There are 29,880 searches made annually by Americans for “what to say when calling in sick” and “sick day excuse,” showing a vast number of employees taking unnecessary sick leave. Ultimately, the numbers show a massive market for people to hire Artisans and reap the benefits of hiring digital workers. 

It’s no surprise that the states with the highest sick leave rates also have the most fake sick leave, with California, Texas, and New York leading the way. We could assume this trend is mainly due to state-specific sick leave policies. For example, New York mandates that businesses with five or more employees must provide paid sick leave, while California requires paid sick leave after 30 days of employment. In contrast, Texas has no legal requirement for employers to pay for sick leave, meaning workers here just take the time off with no worries about potential financial loss. 

The UK Cities With the Most Sick Employees 

Heading across the pond to the UK, Brits take much less sick leave than Americans. However, we must note that the population sizes are a lot smaller. The city taking the crown for having the most sick employees is unsurprisingly London, with 27,360 searches made annually for the various sick-related terms. 

Northern cities follow behind, with Birmingham securing second place, recording 4,400 annual searches for sick-related terms, and Manchester closely following with 3,000. Both Birmingham and Manchester also lead the way when it comes to fake sick leave, with twice the number of monthly searches for “what to say when calling in sick” compared to nearby cities (240 searches per month versus 120). 

Whilst the UK shows a lower rate of employee sick leave, businesses here can still reap the benefits of hiring AI employees, like the ones that Artisan builds. Increasing productivity and workflow is at the forefront of their job descriptions, and even though humans may not be taking sick leave all the time, everyone knows Brits love a tea break and office small talk, which can accumulate to wasting time just as much. 

As these digital workers become more advanced—capable of automating everything a human can do in seconds—they represent an emerging solution to worker capacity challenges, ensuring businesses stay productive even amid rising employee absences.

Artisan has just launched an AI Sales Rep called Ava, who automates the entire workflow of a business development representative, from finding and researching leads to writing and sending outreach messages. She has been hired by over 300 companies.

Methodology 

UK Cities
The list of 20 cities in the UK was compiled based on a combination of factors, including population size, economic significance, cultural importance, and historical relevance. 

US States
All 50 US states were analyzed for this study.

OECD Countries
All OECD countries were included in the analysis. For OECD countries, search term volumes in both English and the native language of the respective country were combined to provide a more accurate and holistic view of sick leave-related searches.

Data Collection and Analysis
Data was collected from the last 12 months, with an average monthly search volume calculated over the past year. The data was gathered on March 3rd, 2025. To ensure a comprehensive analysis, data was sourced from Google and its search partners.

The analysis focused on the average monthly search volume for various "sick day" related terms. These monthly figures were multiplied to calculate the yearly average search volume, revealing the locations most likely to see employees calling in sick.