Sick but working

SIR – It is wrong to conclude from the survey of employers by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development that the “sickie” has been replaced by a strong work ethic (report, April 2).

In fact, employees are often forced to work with minor ailments because most companies now deduct pay if an employee has more than two periods of sickness in 12 months.

This is despite the valid point made by Rachel Suff, author of the study, that working when unwell can result in underperformance and can also lead to other workers falling ill, thus risking their own sickness record. Robert Cox

Gillingham, Kent