Nearly half of all office workers (46%) feel pressurised to come into work by their immediate managers and more than half of these again (53%) are female employees.
The “Under Pressure” study, conducted by Adecco Retail, reveals a large difference between younger and older workers: three-quarters (78%) of 16-24 year olds feel obliged to come into work when ill, compared to less than a third (30%) of those over 55.
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.
