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Hard times have workers too afraid to call in sick



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Published Date: 06 October 2008
SCOTS workers are less likely to call in sick, amid fears over their jobs in the current economic climate, research out today will suggest.
Dubbed "presenteeism", a survey found staff are increasingly reluctant to take time off work through illness.

The trend has been attributed to the financial slowdown, as workers are keen to prove their commitment to their jobs.

The health plan provider HSA said more than a third of people (36 per cent) questioned said that they were less likely to take a day off sick now than they were a year ago.

Gary Cooper, a professor in Organisational Psychology at Lancaster University Management School, said: "People are worried about their jobs. Presenteeism usually occurs in a downturn because employees want to show commitment for fear of job loss, so they will come in earlier, stay later and come in even when they are sick."



The full article contains 157 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 05 October 2008 11:52 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Charles Linskaill,

Edinburgh 06/10/2008 01:28:57


Being Dedicated to ones Job in this Day and Age,...

...Is a, 'Myth Beyond, Beggars Believe' that this will keep you in employment!

When, ..'Push-comes-to-Crunch', no-matter how good you, are or have been, you will be put out in the,..

.....'Waste Disposal', when no longer needed or afforded!

Long time Dead!,,,'Is It Worth It'?

NO, NO, NO!

Think of your Health and Family, and Well-being First!

2

Ferg,

bridge of Allan 06/10/2008 02:43:18
#1 with an attitude like that we might as well all just curl up and die! are you a bitter and twisted pensioner on maximum benefits!!

A touch of starvation is always a good motivator to make people get out of their beds and put in a 12 hour day! Too many peolpe have abused the system from either having a hangover or a runny nose!
3

fife runner,

06/10/2008 06:05:03
a friend of mine recently has his company taken over by a Dutch firm. From working 0830 to past 1800 his hours went from 0900 to 1630 and the same work was done due to better work practices resulting in happier workforce. Ask yourself why we at times have worse sickness rate and people throw a sicky at times. If a force was happy at work then this would not happen. Also, #2 seems you do not have great belief in our workforce. Mamy workers in my industry work on at times to clear backlogs due to increasing workloads.
4

macca,

Asia 06/10/2008 06:10:50
If family and self were put first Scots families would be healthier,there are many jobs if you are sick one cannot work at all, it is dishonest to turn up sick as one will affect others or infect. The past abuses of some should not be used to map the future of others.
5

joppa jock,

Huntingdon 06/10/2008 08:42:48
Face the facts! Thousands of working days are lost because there are people who believe it is their right to claim a number of days off 'sick', whether sick or not. At least one department of my local social services work their sick days on a rota basis to ensure they all get a fair share. The sudden drop in sick days has nothing to do with the nation's health but everthing to do with fear of getting sacked.
6

An Greumach Mor,

Scotland 06/10/2008 11:13:23
It would be interesting to see if their are statistics for the difference between public sector workers(the striking types) and the private sector workers.

If I do not go to work I lose money. Yet I know countless people who work in police, nhs, council and goverment who are off several weeks every year. It is normal practise as they get 6 months full pay regardless.

I am not saying we should not stay at home when geninuely sick but why are these people always sick on Monday's and Fridays ??
7

TimW1234,

Ottawa, Canada 06/10/2008 11:38:27
A truly sad state affairs.

When you are sick - when you are GENUINELY ill - why go into work and spread your illness or germs?

It is counterproductive when 10 or 15 other workers are afflicted with whatever it is that you GENUINELY have.

Management should realise this and SMARTEN UP!
8

Robb,

06/10/2008 13:58:36
#6. good point. I'm quite sure there would be quite a difference. many years ago I worked in an organisation where employees would take note of their sick days to make sure they took their full quota for the year! Because of the system employed by the company, a certain amount of periods of sickness was acceptable, rather than a set number of days, therefore it was as easy to get 6 weeks off as it was to have 6 seperate days. It was widely abused (not by me, I hasten to add!).

Then there's the other end of the scale... The private companies who treat their staff so badly, they are genuinely scared to be off ill. The result is that the employee ends up being much more severely ill before they finally have to give up and stay off work, not only ill, but stressed because they worry about what they will face when they return.

The "striking types" as you call them, don't know how lucky they are!
9

Number 6,

Germany 06/10/2008 14:59:45
Come on ! If you are genuinley sick, then go to the doctors, get treatment and a sicknote. Your job won't be in jeapordy, employment laws see to that.

This is effecting the Monday morning chancers and the repeatedly ill brigade. My company can take no action against people who are sick and have been to a doctor.

We can also Self certify ourselves sick up to 6 days a year if required. I agree good work practises and enviroments , go a long way towards keeping staff healthy, but , personally I would target the repeat sickies, and the bad back brigades with all the resources available. There are plenty of people who would be grateful, simply to be given the oppertunity to work all week.

I currently have 2 new members of staff, who will be on a 3 month probationary period. It's usually too long a time for the sickies to keep working without throwing a few fly ones. I'll be counting. lol
10

fife runner,

07/10/2008 06:10:46
#6 who held us to ransom a few months back when tanker drivers in the private sector went on strike to get what they wnated? The railways are in the private sector also. Their drivers almost get what they want by industrial action.
11

fife runner,

07/10/2008 06:15:05
I am a public sector employee. I regularly do without breaks in order to get on with the work. Overtime is not obligatory and with both myself and my wife working I do not need to do it but do so that people can get a service. I know my colleagues will come in even when injured to work even if it is to do the more sedentary tasks to get the work done.

 

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