Death of the sickie sees workers head to the office when they’re ill

YOUR colleagues might admire you for your stoicism, and you may even hope to impress the boss, but when it comes to spreading coughs and colds, you should really stay at home.

That is the advice from a think tank that yesterday warned of a worrying rise in the number of people heading to work when they ought to be keeping their distance.

According to a new report, the death of pulling a sickie appears to have arrived as the number of companies reporting a rise in workers heading into work while ill has tripled since 2010.

The survey of hundreds of British employers suggested days of lying on the couch with daytime television for company has been replaced by a strong work ethic.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, which produced the report, warned that while they may seem laudable, the efforts of the work-conscious might well be damaging the economy. An explanation offered suggests that despite being present in the workplace, ailing employees might not be able to match their productivity to their commitment to impress.

Rachel Suff, the study’s author, told The Times: “If people are coming into

‘If people are coming into work when really unwell, it means that they are not performing’’

work when really unwell, it means that they are not performing and not adding value to their job, while their own condition could worsen or they could pass it to other workers.”

The survey of 1,021 employers, who represent nearly five million workers, found nearly nine in 10 companies said people were turning up for work while they were still ill (86 per cent).

The figure was just 26 per cent in 2010, and has risen from 72 per cent in the past two years. It is not the only study to shed light on the trend. The Office for National Statistics said that in 2016, the number of people taking sickies was the lowest in over two decades since records began.

Those figures found that the most common sickness causing people to miss work was minor coughs and colds, followed by musculoskeletal problems such as back or limb pain.

Mental health issues were the next most common reason, which saw the TUC say that it was a “myth” UK workers are “always throwing sickies”.

For those looking for a good excuse to stay at home, a recent Telegraph poll of our readers found the best excuse for pulling a sickie was saying that you had the flu (37 per cent).

However, just 5 per cent believe having a cold is good enough a reason for a day at home. Two in five readers said that if they had a mental health issue, they would lie to their boss about their need to miss work.