The recession and the increased job insecurity associated with it are persuading more workers to go into work when they should be off sick, a new survey reveals.
The study of 1600 workers, by health-care charity Nuffield Health, found that 30 per cent are now more inclined to go to work ill, as a result of the current economic climate.
Overall, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of those surveyed went into work last year while sick, while more than half (53 per cent) worked despite suffering from a contagious illness, such as a cold. Around half of those who admitted to working while ill said the most important factor in their decision was job security, while having too heavy a workload was cited as the most significant reason overall.
The age group most likely to go into work sick are those aged between 16 and 24 – 85 per cent of this group said they had done so in 2011, and 48 per cent said they were more likely to go into work ill because of the economic downturn.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, going into work while ill because of the recession is most likely among those earning below £20,000, followed by those in the £21,000-£30,000 and £31,000-£50,000 income brackets.
Research from Aston University in 2010 revealed the cost of presenteeism to be £15 billion annually – twice the cost of absenteeism, according to the Economic and Social Research Council.
Commenting on the survey findings in the context of the university’s research, Marcus Powell, managing director of Nuffield Health, corporate well-being, said: “Employees going into work sick costs business dearly – up to £15 billion a year. Our research shows the economic downturn has made people more likely to go into work sick, often because they fear losing their job. This is bad for business.”
Dr Andy Jones, medical director at Nuffield Health, added: “Effective health and well-being is about helping people to make the choices to stay physically and mentally fit. Presenteeism means those who are ill go into work sick, possibly infecting others. Any doctor would advise workers to stay at home and rest if they are unwell.”
Those sectors feeling the most pressure to go into work sick are the retail industry, followed by manufacturing and education. More than a fifth of those questioned also admitted to exercising less since the start of the recession.
In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, ‘Burnout, stress and being human’, Heather Beach is joined by Stacy Thomson to discuss burnout, perfectionism and how to deal with burnout as an individual, as management and as an organisation.
We provide an insight on how to tackle burnout and why mental health is such a taboo subject, particularly in the workplace.
