I hope you are not tempted to call in sick today… but if you do, you’re not alone! The first Monday in February is when more people call in sick than any other day in the year.
Today’s figure is predicted to be higher than in previous years thanks to a combination of factors including Super Bowl Sunday yesterday, the first weekend after dry January and the first post-Christmas pay day.
According to some Employment Law experts, it was estimated that the amount of employees who called in sick on 2017 National Sickie Day was 350,000 and they predicted this cost the UK economy around £45million due to lost hours, wages and overtime, but overall 39 million working days a year are lost due too sickies, costing UK businesses a staggering £4billion.
- So here are a list of some of the worst excuses for missing work in 2017:
- My only pair of work trousers is in the wash
- I contracted food poisoning from a chocolate bar I ate last night
- It’s my dog’s birthday and I need to arrange a party for him
- The dog ate my shoes
- I got arrested
- I woke up in a good mood and didn’t want to ruin it
- I stayed out partying last night and haven’t had any sleep
- My friend is on annual leave so I can’t get a lift
- I have no way to get to work
- My wife earns more than me so I have to look after the kids
As an employer there are a few things you can do to try and limit this trend by making sure you get employees to call you when they are sick – it’s harder to stick to a made up excuse talking to someone than texting in. Also you are perfectly entitled to challenge the authenticity of an absence; if an excuse seems too far-fetched then ask for evidence if appropriate.
Don’t allow an ‘absence culture’ to flourish in your workplace, get in touch if you need any further advice on how to improve sickness and absence.
