Mancunians are among the most likely in the country to pull a sickie according to new statistics, with 42 per cent of people admitting to faking illness to get out of work.
The new research, commissioned by budgeting account provider thinkmoney, shows that an average of 30% of people, or 5 million nationwide, faked illness to skip work in the last 12 months.
The most common reason given for pulling a sickie was that the employee just couldn’t be bothered, followed by having a hangover, and attending a job interview.
Liverpool and Scotland also came out on top as the areas where workers were most likely to call in sick, but thinkmoney’s Ian Williams thinks this may not be a true reflection of variation between regions.
He said: “We don’t have anything in the research that explains why people feel the need to pull a sickie, we know what they do when they do it.
“For us, I think the closest we get to it is to say that people in the North West are more honest, they’re prepared to fess up.”
The figures also showed that men were more likely to call in sick, with 42% of men admitting to faking illness to get out of work compared to 30% of women.
Research commissioned by thinkmoney earlier in the year showed that among the biggest irritations in the workplace were people cutting their shifts short, and a lack of appreciation from employers.
“For so many people to feel they are being unchallenged and not appreciated by their employers is extremely worrying, especially considering how many hours the average person spends at work every day,” Mr Williams added.
“Job satisfaction has a huge role to play in how valued and happy a person feels in their day-to-day lives.”
These new statistics do not explain why people call in sick rather, but Mr Williams felt that making employees feel valued could combat the trend.
He said: “It doesn’t go to the underlying reasons, and for me that comes down to what HR people would call engagement.
“So if you feel valued as an employee, if your employer makes you feel like you’re part of a team and you’re a valued member of staff then you’re less likely to pull a sickie.”
ONS figure also show that the UK has the second worst productivity of G7 nations, with the gap between us and nations such as the US and Germany growing ever larger.
Mr Williams said: “It’s interesting that Britain’s productivity has declined again when we are putting in more hours than many of our neighbours.
“As workers in this country battle to achieve an acceptable work-life balance, it’s worrying that people are lying about their health to reach this.”
He also added that a lack of engagement in the workforce may be one the factors to explain the slow recovery from recession.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate that 131 million working days were lost in 2013 due to sickness.
Among the top reasons for pretending to be ill were avoiding deadlines, going shopping, and needing to take care of a child.
Mr Williams added: “It’s concerning that some workers feel forced to take a sick day to cover their childcare needs.
“In an age where people can work productively from home, employers should be able to support their workforce to manage work and their families.”
Picture courtesy of Ryan Hyde, with thanks.
