Half of all employees still report for work when ill

In addition, there are significant regional differences – workers in Belfast are the toughest and most likely to go to work, with nearly three-quarters (71%) never taking a sick day. Conversely, those in Plymouth are the least likely to come in all year; less than a third (31%) never take a day off due to illness.

Colds and flu is the biggest reason for keeping us off work, affecting 57% of those who have taken a sick day over the past year.

The report also looks at measures employers can take to help cut down on sick days. To stop us throwing “sickies”, over a third (38%) said being able to do flexitime would prevent this, while another third (37%) said being able to work from home would deter them from being off ill. Four in ten (42%) would like flexible working hours to cut down on the number of sick days. Over half of those polled (52%) feel employees should be rewarded for not taking time off sick.