A significant number of UK employees are taking unscheduled sick days.
- A new study reveals 77% of Britons have faked emergencies to skip work.
- Common excuses include diarrhea, sick pets, and hospital appointments.
- The study highlights financial implications of fake sick days, costing billions.
- George Charles comments on societal attitudes towards sick days.
In a recent study, it was found that a substantial 77% of full-time employed Britons admitted to taking at least one day off work using fabricated emergencies within the past year. This research sheds light on the growing trend of workers opting for unscheduled absences, raising concerns about workplace culture and employee honesty.
Common justifications for these absences include ailments such as diarrhea or stomach bugs, cited by 27% of participants, and issues like pet illnesses or vet appointments, mentioned by 18%. Urgent hospital appointments were used as excuses by 13%, while a broken-down car was noted by 9%, and migraines by 7%. These reasons appear to be strategically chosen for their plausible and non-discussable nature, minimizing the risk of suspicion.
The study further explored how frequently these excuses were used, revealing that 64% had resorted to this tactic only once in the year, whereas 17% admitted to doing so between two and five times. Only 22% of respondents felt their employers had suspected their deceit, indicating a high perceived success rate of these tactics.
George Charles of VoucherCodesPro.co.uk commented on the findings, acknowledging the temptation many feel to call in sick for a leisurely day at home. He noted, “the fact that those who did admit lying to their employers are most likely to blame an absence on diarrhea or a sickness bug makes a lot of sense.” Charles highlighted that such excuses avoid detailed questioning due to their personal nature and their association with short-term illness.
The financial cost of these false sick days is significant, with sickness absence costing the UK economy approximately £29 billion annually. With an effective absence management system, companies could reduce this cost by 20-30%, potentially saving around £10 billion each year, as noted by Adrian Lewis from Activ Absence. This finding emphasizes the economic impact of unscheduled absences and the need for better management strategies.
The study underscores the need for improved absence management to mitigate economic losses due to unscheduled sick days.
