Something for the weekend: Manchester has been named as the UK’s holiday sickie hotspot, according to research by printing firm Instantprint.
Its survey of 2,000 UK employees found that just under a third (31%) in the region confessed to calling in sick in order to extend a holiday.
Employees in other areas have similarly feigned illness. More than a third (36%) of staff in Birmingham, for example, have called in sick in order to go shopping. Overall, women were three times as likely as men to fake being ill so they could shop, with 69% admitting to doing so.
Meanwhile, 51% of respondents in London have called in sick to avoid a work meeting.
Employees in Leeds appear to be the most honest, being the least likely to ‘pull a sickie’.
Overall, 68% admitted to faking a sick day over the past year. The most common reasons for doing so included needing a rest day (cited by 41%), having personal errands to run (35%), going shopping (25%) and extending holiday (22%).
However, Vicki Russell, head of TX (HR) at Instantprint, said that rather than employees pulling the wool over their employers’ eyes, the practice of faking illness is instead indicative of issues within corporate culture.
“When a third of your workforce feels they need to fake illness just to recharge, that’s not a holiday problem, it’s a culture problem. People aren’t skiving, they’re exhausted and don’t feel they can be honest about it.
“The solution isn’t tougher policies, it’s trust. If people in Manchester feel they can’t be open about needing a break, they’ll continue to take one in secret. A culture shift is needed.”
Here at Employee Benefits, we can’t help wondering how many of these employees were caught out by their employer when they returned to work!
