News release
1 in 5 workers admits to 'pulling a sickie'
One in five workers say they have pretended to be sick as an excuse for a day off work and only 29 percent of managers always believe that staff who call in sick are genuinely ill, according to research* by BUPA.
The research into employees' and employers' views on absence also showed that over a third of managers think bosses are unwilling to question staff too closely about what is wrong with them and over half think it is difficult to distinguish between what is a genuine illness and what is not.
The CBI has estimated that £1.7 billion is lost due to staff 'pulling a sickie'.
Other results from the survey showed that managers believe the most commonly used excuses by someone phoning in sick when they are not really ill are food poisoning and cold/flu. Wanting a long weekend and having a hangover were believed by managers to be the main reasons for illegitimate absence and 65 per cent of them think that staff who are off work repeatedly should have their pay stopped.
37 per cent of employees polled said they failed to take time off when they were too ill to work out of a sense of duty with the knock on effect that they had to take time out later to fully recover, or other colleagues got ill as a result.
Ann Greenwood, director of business markets at BUPA comments: "This research indicates that not only are people taking time off when they are not sick, but that managers admit they are never sure if someone is genuinely ill or not but these issues can be addressed."
"You can't manage what you can't measure and companies who don't properly monitor absence are risking their bottom line. Three quarters of managers think that employers should not get involved unless the employee is not better after several days, but the fact is that if you manage absence from day one you are more likely to get employees back to work quickly. With six per cent of long-term absence making up 40 per cent of the absence costs a quick return to work is vital."
BUPA Absence Management is a new service that allows companies to monitor absence and also benefits employees, who receive appropriate guidance and advice for treatment when they are sick. This makes them feel more valued and motivated as a result. It is widely recognised that when absence is monitored by health experts, this can lead to a reduction in short term absence. Being seen as a caring employer also helps recruit and retain staff.
Ann Greenwood continues: "In summary, workplace absence is, and continues to be, a problem which is costing British business both time and money. Identifying the problem and the appropriate solutions creates a triple win: for the employee, the employer and UK plc."
*BUPA research carried out by TNS and Continental in August 2005. 1958 full and part-time employees and 200 managers were interviewed.
| Region | Average days lost per employee in 2004 (CIPD Annual Survey into Absence Management 2005) |
|---|---|
| East Anglia | 7.8 |
| East Midlands | 8.9 |
| West Midlands | 9.1 |
| North East | 8.2 |
| North West | 10.0 |
| South West | 8.2 |
| Yorks & Humberside | 9.1 |
| South East (ex London) | 7.3 |
| London | 6.8 |
| Scotland | 9.1 |
| Wales | 8.7 |
| Northern Ireland | 4.6 |