Employees in the UK: Will you come to work if you are sick?
Analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found that the hidden costs of rising workplace sickness absence in the UK have risen to more than £100 billion a year, largely due to falling productivity amid “staggering” levels of presenteeism.
According to experts, British workers are the least likely to call in sick, especially compared to other OECD and European countries, and they are more likely to come to work when they are sick.
Working despite poor health is more common among people from marginalised ethnic groups, those in lower quality jobs and workers without formal qualifications.
We want to hear from British workers on this. Are you tempted to go to work when you’re feeling unwell? If so, tell us why. Is it for financial reasons or are there other pressures, and if so, what are they? What impact does it have on you and your work?
If you hold a management position, we would also like to know your views: is this a problem in your workplace and if so, is your employer taking action?
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Share your experience
We are keen to talk to UK workers about working while sick, as research shows it leads to lost productivity.