Average employee takes two-and-a-half sick days

IT WOULD seem the dreaded call to the boss may be enough to dissuade the nation’s workers from taking a day off sick.
Canary Wharf at sunrise in the City of LondonCanary Wharf at sunrise in the City of London
Canary Wharf at sunrise in the City of London

Research published today has revealed that the average employee takes just two and-a-half days off ill every year, and nearly half - 44 per cent - of those surveyed for the family-focused insurance firm, There, expressed unease about phoning in sick.

More than one in four people phoning in to get a day off work admitted to putting on a “sickie voice”.

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Flu, stomach bugs and viruses were found to be the leading causes of missing work. People working in leisure, culture and sport roles are more likely to be off work due to illness, while those in the manufacturing and property sectors are among the least likely, according to the study.

One in five of the 2,000 workers surveyed said they had been made ill or had become injured as a direct result of doing their job.

Far from enjoying a “sickie”, many of those who did take time off were plagued with worry. The most common concerns among those employees who took time off work due to illness were work piling up, pressure on their colleagues and feelings of guilt.

People who were self-employed said the main implications from being ill were loss of income, work piling up and losing customers.

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