UK Workers Pull Sickies to Avoid Going to Work
Two in five adults would fake a sick day if they needed a day off, a Com Res survey for the BBC suggests. When questioned on their morals and values, people admitted to lying about sickness, stealing and taking credit for other people’s work.
While younger staff lied more often than their elders, they were more willing to stand up for colleagues.
The average worker takes around four sick days a year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The most common reasons for calling off work in 2018 were the common cold, musculoskeletal problems (like back pain), mental health conditions and “other” problems.
Sickness due to fibbing was unsurprisingly not included in the government’s statistics. The UK-wide survey questioned 3,655 adults aged over 16.
The findings are part of a larger survey about what people in the UK find right and wrong.
As well as faking sickies, employees are often also prepared to cover for colleagues who they know might be faking it.
The survey found that 66% would not tell bosses if they knew their colleagues were absent, but not ill.
Hayley Lewis, an occupational psychologist, said it takes confidence to tell your boss you need a break, and if the relationship is bad, employees will tend to be less truthful.