Opinion: rise in ill workers shows it's time to take a sick day

A shocking number of people go to work despite being ill, with sick days at record lows. But, dragging yourself to work does you no favours and spreads your illness to others. Take that sick day, you're entitled to it.

More and more people are dragging themselves to work when they are ill, according to figures out today.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that 86% of employers have observed staff attending work while ill, known as ‘presenteeism’ up from just 26% back in 2010.

“The survey shines a light on the shocking scale of presenteeism we have in the UK, as people feel under even more pressure at work,” says Rachel Suff, senior employment relations adviser at the CIPD.

“Too few organisations are discouraging unhealthy workplace practices and tackling stress, which is strongly linked to health conditions such as anxiety and depression.”

Experts believe more and more of us are turning up to work when we should be taking a sick day because we are worried about job security and fear we could be top of the pile for redundancies if our boss thinks we take too much sick leave.

It’s not the first time concerns have been raised about the nation’s determination to drag themselves to their desks when ill.

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Last year the TUC described the British workforce as “mucus troopers” after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that sick days taken in 2016 totalled just 167 million working days, the equivalent of 4.3 days per worker, the lowest ever recorded.

"It is a myth that UK workers are always throwing sickies," said TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady.

"We are really a nation of mucus troopers, with people more likely to go to work when ill than stay at home when well. Sickness absence rates have fallen steadily over the past decade."

Back in 1993 when the ONS first started recording this data 7.2 days per worker were lost to sick leave.

But, getting yourself to work when you are ill isn't a badge of honour. You're spreading your germs and are highly unlikely to put in a productive day once at your desk. People need to take a more modern approach to working when ill. 

If you have a cold, or a just feeling a bit under the weather, then perhaps you could work from home. That way you don't have to take a sick day, keep your germs to yourself and probably manage to do more work than if you'd endured the commute.

It's estimated that millions of pounds are lost from the economy every year due to 'presenteeism' as workers refuse to take a sick day but can't manage their usual workload due to being ill.

If you can't work from home, then consider taking a sick day. You'll get a day to recuperate and no employer should hold that against you.

There is also the knock-on cost of you giving your illness to co-workers who then have a fall in productivity, or take a sick day themselves.

Do yourself, your fellow co-workers, commuters and employer a favour: if you are sick, stay at home.

What do you think? Should more people take sick leave? Is it a good thing more people go to work while ill? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.