Nearly half of us go to work sick

Cigna study shows employment pressure often behind Kiwis’ high stress levels

If you’re turning up to work today feeling under the weather you are not alone. Global research by insurer Cigna has revealed four out of 10 workers in New Zealand come to work when they are sick despite admitting they are nowhere near as productive.

Other parts of Cigna’s research revealed New Zealanders' perception of their health and well-being has fallen in the past year and remains well below the global average.

While Kiwis are more likely to take time off work when they are unwell than workers in other developed countries, those who do admit their productivity can be down by between 10 and 50 per cent.

Mel MacPhee, head of human resources at Cigna New Zealand, said while 40 per cent was not as bad as the global average of 70 per cent it was “not a great figure”.

“It does have quite a drain on workplace productivity.”

In Australia and the United States, 50 per cent of workers came to work when ill, while in Britain it was higher, at 60 per cent.

MacPhee said there were a number of reasons why people still showed up when sick.

Often it was out of a feeling of obligation to their employer, worries about job security or because they don’t want to let colleagues down.

However, workers who did make a sniffly appearance admitted they were not giving it their best.

MacPhee said it was a case of the worker saying: “I’ve showed up to work but really I can’t focus, I can’t function, I am here in body but not necessarily engaged or focused.” Mel MacPhee says it’s harder now for employees to switch off work.

The research was part of a survey by Cigna of more than 14,000 adults across 23 countries and asked people about five key aspects of their lives.

Perceptions on physical health, family, social, financial and work were then pulled together into a global index rating, which compared New Zealand with other countries.

It found New Zealand’s index rating fell from 62.7 to 60.8 between 2017 and 2018 while the global index also declined from 62.3 to 61.2 points.

A drop in social and family wellness indicators were the main drivers behind the decline for New Zealanders while physical and financial aspects improved.

Socially, fewer Kiwis felt they were spending sufficient time with friends and family than a year ago. There was