Something for the weekend: One in five (21%) respondents that believe Friday 13th is an unlucky date admit that these superstitions impact on their working day, according to research by Kit Out My Office.
The survey of 2,185 British office-based employees also found that 65% of respondents believe Friday 13th to be unlucky, and 15% of these respondents refuse to go in to work on that date. Of these, 41% book the day off as annual leave, 39% opt to work from home, and 20% phone in sick.
Further findings from the research include:
- 38% of respondents that think Friday 13th is unlucky refuse to schedule any meetings in or out of the building on that date.
- 35% of respondents with suspicions around the date admit to being on edge in case anything goes wrong during the course of the day.
- 22% of those respondents that think the day is unlucky will not drive into work, opting to take public transport instead.
- 17% of worried respondents stick to their normal routine and avoid new situations.
Gareth Jones, digital marketing manager at Kit Out My Office, said: “They’re widely considered to be ‘irrational’, but superstitions are a real concern for those who do believe and live by them.
“Chances are that if anything bad were to happen, there would be no dire consequences and it would just be a coincidence, but some won’t even take the risk, which is why some choose not to leave the house, not even to go into the office.”
The Employee Benefits team will venture into the office on Friday 13th, but we may avoid walking under any ladders on our way there...