Taking a sick day was always frowned upon among UK workers, but after a year unlike any other, you’d think that taking a sick day would be welcomed. However, it appears that calling in sick is still something that many employees are hesitant to do, with many still feeling obligated to come in while sick or hurting.

We did some study on the stigma surrounding sick days a year later, with a worldwide pandemic still looming, to see if COVID-19 had changed the public’s attitude on taking sick days when needed, as well as how likely workers are to call in sick when back at work. To learn more, we polled 1,000 UK employees.

It’s being worked on.

It turns out that even in the face of a global pandemic, some Britons choose to persevere and continue working (whether that be from home or the office).

When asked how their attitude about calling in sick has changed since before Covid, more than a quarter (22%) stated that it would “take a lot” for them to call in sick, even if a pandemic were to occur. A fifth (21%) even stated that they’ve been calling in sick less since the epidemic began and that they’re only doing so when they’re sick with a serious sickness like COVID.

One probable explanation for this is that most of us have had a shorter commute in the last year or so because our offices have been in the same building as our home comforts for many of us.

This meant we didn’t have to stress about whether we’d be able to make it to work in time to start the day.

Working from home also meant we didn’t have to worry about infecting others with whatever was making us sick, allowing us to nurse ourselves back to health while also responding to emails.

More vacation time is required

We haven’t completely stopped taking days off just because we’re less likely to call in ill. In fact, according to a recent survey, the average UK employee took four sick days in 2020, out of a total of 256 available working days. This figure has risen significantly from the previous study, as we used to call in sick for an average of 2.6 days per year before the epidemic.

Although fewer of us are ready to call in sick, those who do have to take longer time off to recover from their illnesses.

‘Pulling a Sickie’ is a term used to describe the act of requesting a day off due to illness.

However, not everyone is taking time off because they truly need it, as one in ten (9%) admitted to calling in sick frequently despite not being sick…

Fortunately, it appears that not all employees share this mindset, with residents of particular cities being more inclined than others to take a day off.

Sheffield residents have taken the sickest days on average in the last year, with workers in Steel City taking 5.4 sick days in 2020. On the other hand, Glaswegians appear to be built of tougher material, calling in sick an average of 3.2 days each year in 2020.

A third of Belfast residents (33%) admit to “pulling a sickie” regularly to get an additional day off work, with Southampton (19%) and London (14%) joining them as the cities most likely to pull a sickie regularly.

Norwich (50 per cent), Sheffield (50 per cent), and Edinburgh (50 per cent) workers, on the other hand, were found to be the least inclined to fake an illness for a day off, with half of those polled in each location claiming that they “would never do so.”

Are you under duress?

Following the epidemic, 15% of UK adults say there is more pressure on them to go to work, even if they are sick, according to our study.

Another 17% believe they are under pressure not to take time off to recover unless they are suffering from Covid or another major sickness.

Employees are hesitant to call in sick due to the pressure and stigma associated with taking the day off in some organisations.

On the other hand, since the pandemic, a third of employees (30 per cent) said they don’t feel obligated to go to work when they’re unwell.

On a more positive side, this figure has nearly quadrupled since a 2019 study on the same topic, when only 15% of UK workers stated they never feel pressured by their managers when phoning in sick. These findings suggest that in some companies, the stigma associated with taking time off to rest and recoup while sick has decreased, with some employers urging employees to be reasonable and not come to work when they’re sick.

COVID isn’t going to stop us.

When questioned about the top reasons for our absences in the previous year, COVID did not make the top ten list; instead, the flu (22 per cent), the sniffles (18 per cent), and headaches and migraines (12 per cent) were cited as the most common reasons for sick days by UK adults.

Even more astonishing, as the world gradually returns to some kind of normalcy, the Covid-19 virus was not voted as the number one ‘valid’ reason UK employees offered for calling in sick.

When it came to legitimate reasons for skipping work, the flu came out on top, with two-thirds of respondents (64 per cent) picking it as the greatest reason to stay in bed. COVID-19 (and illnesses associated with it) and the death of a family member tied for second place on the list (53 per cent).

And be prepared to carry your laptop around with you almost everywhere, because astonishingly, only half of those polled believed that going to A&E or being hospitalised was a sufficient excuse for calling in sick (52 per cent).

However, if you’re coughing and sneezing, you might want to reconsider going to work at all, as 32% of UK workers indicated they’d “be upset with any colleagues who came to work while sick.” Even though one in twenty (5%) of Brits reported being sick at work, only one in twenty (5%) claimed that working with a sick coworker would annoy them.

Returning to the workplace

The pandemic has impacted our attitudes toward sick days a year in another survey. When some of us now feel less compelled to work while sick, others still feel unable to take the day off, even in the face of a worldwide pandemic.

We can see why some Brits choose to work from their beds instead of taking sick leave after fourteen months of being able to work from anywhere. But, as we return to work, it’s vital to remember that it’s not just about ourselves; many of us will be increasing our face-to-face time with coworkers, as well as coming into closer touch with a variety of others on our daily travels.

Remember that, while you may be tempted to brave it and go to work while you’re sick, many of your coworkers would prefer you to stay at home and take care of yourself.

As a company, we feel that our employees’ health and well-being is an important component of a happy and healthy workforce. We would advise any company to make sure that their employees are completely comfortable taking time off for rest and rehabilitation when needed, without feeling obligated to do so.