July 15, 2025
Unless you’ve been under a rock it’s been impossible to avoid hearing about the rise in use of weight loss jabs in recent years.
According to research around 1.4 million people a month are accessing GLP‑1 injections (e.g. Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro) through private online pharmacies, while only about 200 000 people receive them via the NHS-mostly for diabetes, not weight‑loss.
According to NICE, patient’s who have a BMI of over 35 and at least one other weight related health condition, may find taking weight loss injections allow them to reduce their weight and therefore improve their quality of life, their health and their fitness.
However we are hearing that it is not just being used by employee’s who are obese or are overweight.
What we are also seeing is the rise of employee’s who do not have a BMI of over 35 somehow getting access this drug via online pharmacies who do not have robust processes in place.
Then we have the cost. At around £200 per month, we are hearing stories of employees who are getting into debt to cover the cost.
The statistics for weight loss injections are stark. In the UK in 2025
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Private users/month | ~1.4 million |
| NHS users | ~200 000 |
| Total UK users | ~1.5 million |
| NHS prescriptions (2024–25) | 2.7 million |
| NHS cost (2024–25) | £269 million |
| Women considering use (2025) | 72 % |
| Deaths reported | 82–111 |
Like all medicines there are side affects. It becomes an employment matter when these side affects lead to employee’s having time off work. Time off they may otherwise not have if they were not taking the injection.
Where employee’s are taking the medication outside of the NHS, through private prescriptions that may not be benefiting from the same support of someone who is under the care of their GP.
Common side affects include:
This means that you may have an employee who is experiencing brutal side affects and has become unfit for work through those side affects without them having the benefit of medical advice as to whether they can reduce the impact of their side affect.
Now comes the burning question and one we are increasingly being asked by employers. Can we manage these absences differently?
Our advice is that you manage these absences no differently to any sickness absence. The Bradford Factor is considered to be a fair measure of attendance as it measures spells of absence. The idea being that the higher the spells of absence in a period, the more disruptive it is to the organisation. To treat people who are off because they are taking a weight loss injection risks a discrimination claim. We should also not lose sight that many of those who take weight loss medication are obese and will improve their health as the weight is shed. This should result in a benefit for their employer in the long term.
As HR we expect that we are nowhere near seeing the peak of use of this medication. If you would like assistance with sickness absence policies in your business, give us a call on 01527 909436.
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