Half of UK employees (50%) call in sick to work in order to spend the day watching television at home, according to research from Kronos.
The Kronos absence survey found that, of these employees, 69% were in the 16 to 24 age group.
In the UK, 43% of employees admit to calling in sick when they are not ill.
The main reason employees pull a sickie was that they felt stressed and needed a day off, as cited by 25% of respondents. Other reasons include: having to look after a sick child, having too heavy a workload, and running out of paid leave.
Half of respondents (50%) said that to prevent them calling in sick, their employer could offer the opportunity to work flexible hours, 39% would like the opportunity to take unpaid leave, 33% would like to work from home occasionally, 32% would like more paid leave, and 27% would like duvet days.
The majority of respondents, 51%, said that they were negatively affected when colleagues called in sick, with the top reason being that they have to take on the workload of the missing employee.
The second reason, at 25%, was an increase in stress levels.
Simon Macpherson, senior director, operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Kronos, said, “This survey provides a fascinating look at the issue of absenteeism.
“Employers everywhere can learn from this survey – about the problem of absenteeism and the possible fixes – from providing more flexible working arrangements to enabling employees to work from home.”
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