Just another MANIC MONDAY: For workers that make it to the office

February 04, 2022

  • 32% of workers would feel guilty that their colleagues would have to pick up extra work if they called in sick
  • Monday (18%) found to be the most popular day for workers to call in sick and Friday (10%) found to be second
  • The research shows that employees in Advertising/Media (67%), Banking (61%) and Electricians (65%) are potentially the most likely to call in sick, even if they are well

Amy Tomlinson, Head of HR at MetLife UK comments: “If staff are calling in sick to avoid work this could point to a larger problem. Avoiding work could be a sign of stress, burnout or disengagement with their role, all worrying signs from an employer’s perspective and all negatively impact a sense of wellbeing.

“Mondays are the most common day to call in sick, but more than half of workers state they don’t have a pre-determined day to call in sick so it can be difficult for managers to plan additional capacity to support. In the short term the implications may be negligible, but there could be a knock-on effect to colleagues as they become overstretched picking up others workloads at short notice. It is critical for managers to understand the root causes of calling in sick, whether it’s a genuine medical reason or down to disengagement with the job. In either case, positive steps can be taken to minimise absenteeism.

“Workers do understand the consequences of their actions and nearly a third (32%) have a sense of guilt for their colleagues when calling in sick but that doesn’t stop them. It’s especially worrying for business owners and employers in sectors such as advertising and media which were found to have staff that are most like to leave teams short – even when they’re well.”

 

Occupation

Percentage that would call in sick even when well

Advertising/ media

67%

Electrician

65%

Bank worker

61%

Taxi/Lorry Driver

56%

Charity worker (6)

55%

Builder

53%

Engineer

50%

IT technician/ Software developer

48%

Sales rep

48%

Administrator

47%

Customer service/ call centre worker

44%

Nurse

43%

Shop assistant

39%

Other

36%

Accountant

 35%

Chef (8)

33%

Teacher

31%

Social worker (9)

27%