Calling
in sick could be a thing of the past as Brits favour the easy way out
when taking a day off work. Twenty-five per cent admit to texting in
sick, 16 per cent email and one in 25 even use Facebook messages
rather than facing up to calling their boss, according to research
amongst 10,000 people.
The results from a new survey commissioned by Covonia, the range of cough and cold treatments with clout, revealed that 72 per cent of bosses think that texting or emailing in sick is a cop-out. In addition, 15 per cent of people said calling in sick for a cold would arouse suspicion that the person is lying to get a day off.
This mistrust has led suspicious bosses to play workers at their own game, taking to social media to check-up on their staff, with 20 per cent admitting to checking their sick employee’s Facebook page. A further 18 per cent insist on a doctor’s note and one in twenty have even driven round to their member of staff’s home.
A third of respondents (34 per cent) conscious of their social media use while taking a sick day and would avoid using it to try not to raise their bosses’ suspicions. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) would “carry on as normal” with using social media, claiming it is none of their bosses’ business.
For those who are brave enough to call in sick, 21 per cent exaggerate their symptoms by straining their voice (25 per cent), pretending to cough (14 per cent) and deliberately speak in a quiet, feeble voice (23 per cent).
The research also reveals that you won’t gain any sympathy from colleagues if you take a sick day to nurse a cold. Almost a quarter of people (24 per cent) believe it is never acceptable to take time off work for a cold, and 62 per cent think it is only acceptable occasionally. A further 29 per cent think their colleague should “Man Up” if they take a sick day due to the common virus.
Thirteen per cent revealed they would consider a colleague to be weak if they took a sick day, and a further 11 per cent said they would consider them to be unreliable. Over half of respondents (52 per cent) believe it is possible to influence the level of disruption a cold has on your life.
Director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, Professor Ron Eccles, says: “Colds are actually more difficult to contract than people believe and there is no evidence that going to work will increase the instances in the community. Cold sufferers are at their most contagious up to three days before exhibiting any symptoms, so by the time they are feeling unwell, the chance of catching their illness is already reduced. In fact, to catch a cold, close and prolonged contact to the virus is required which is why most colds are spread at home.
“If you do fall ill, by proactively treating symptoms with an appropriate remedy and washing hands regularly, there is really no reason the common cold should get in the way of day-to-day responsibilities.”
Over nine million people battle with colds each winter, falling victim to one of the 200 cold viruses in circulation in the UK. Covonia provides a range of powerful and effective cough and cold remedies that you can actually feel working. Visitwww.feelitworking.com to identify what type of cough you have got. Always read the label.
The results from a new survey commissioned by Covonia, the range of cough and cold treatments with clout, revealed that 72 per cent of bosses think that texting or emailing in sick is a cop-out. In addition, 15 per cent of people said calling in sick for a cold would arouse suspicion that the person is lying to get a day off.
This mistrust has led suspicious bosses to play workers at their own game, taking to social media to check-up on their staff, with 20 per cent admitting to checking their sick employee’s Facebook page. A further 18 per cent insist on a doctor’s note and one in twenty have even driven round to their member of staff’s home.
A third of respondents (34 per cent) conscious of their social media use while taking a sick day and would avoid using it to try not to raise their bosses’ suspicions. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) would “carry on as normal” with using social media, claiming it is none of their bosses’ business.
For those who are brave enough to call in sick, 21 per cent exaggerate their symptoms by straining their voice (25 per cent), pretending to cough (14 per cent) and deliberately speak in a quiet, feeble voice (23 per cent).
The research also reveals that you won’t gain any sympathy from colleagues if you take a sick day to nurse a cold. Almost a quarter of people (24 per cent) believe it is never acceptable to take time off work for a cold, and 62 per cent think it is only acceptable occasionally. A further 29 per cent think their colleague should “Man Up” if they take a sick day due to the common virus.
Thirteen per cent revealed they would consider a colleague to be weak if they took a sick day, and a further 11 per cent said they would consider them to be unreliable. Over half of respondents (52 per cent) believe it is possible to influence the level of disruption a cold has on your life.
Director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, Professor Ron Eccles, says: “Colds are actually more difficult to contract than people believe and there is no evidence that going to work will increase the instances in the community. Cold sufferers are at their most contagious up to three days before exhibiting any symptoms, so by the time they are feeling unwell, the chance of catching their illness is already reduced. In fact, to catch a cold, close and prolonged contact to the virus is required which is why most colds are spread at home.
“If you do fall ill, by proactively treating symptoms with an appropriate remedy and washing hands regularly, there is really no reason the common cold should get in the way of day-to-day responsibilities.”
Over nine million people battle with colds each winter, falling victim to one of the 200 cold viruses in circulation in the UK. Covonia provides a range of powerful and effective cough and cold remedies that you can actually feel working. Visitwww.feelitworking.com to identify what type of cough you have got. Always read the label.
