NEWS COPY
Employees working in leisure, culture and sport roles take more sick days than any other industry, a new study* reveals.
The average UK employee takes just over two and a half sick days per year, but those in the leisure industry scored highest (3.8) with workers in telecoms, marketing and education also featuring high in a league table of the sickliest professions.
Teachers take above the national average at 3.17 days per year, while those working in the manufacturing industry or industrial labour take the fewest days off sick a year (1.59).
The research, which was commissioned by family focussed insurance brand, There®, found those working in government or public services had taken the most sick days in their working life so far, taking 66 days over the course of their career.
While those in environmental, recycling and sustainability roles had taken the least sick days across their career to date, racking up 18 absences in their working years – almost half the national average (36 days).
A fifth (19 per cent) of workers have been injured or made ill as a direct result of doing their job, results showed.
And sometimes serious illness or injury is unavoidable and a quarter of the 2,000 workers studied had experienced something that prevented them from working for a whole month or more.
This figure rose to 35% for workers who are self-employed. In fact nearly twice as many self-employed Brits had been injured or got ill at work resulting in time off (31% versus 16%).
The major implications of workers taking time off sick were work piling up, pressure on co-workers and feelings of guilt. For self-employed workers the top three implications were loss of income, work piling up and loss of customers.
However, just one in seven workers had insurance protecting them should they be unable to work for long periods of time.
Yesterday Philippa McLaglen, Marketing Manager from There® explains: “It’s ironic that we worry about taking even one day off sick when so many of us have experienced what it’s like to be laid up and not able to work for a month or more. That situation can have a very real financial impact if wages aren’t coming in. Especially for people who are self employed and don’t have a financial safety net.”
Health workers rated their boss the most strict when it came to taking sick days and also felt they were worked too hard with too few staff- 47 per cent of health workers felt this led to them being susceptible to illness.
And as well as taking the most sick days per year, those working in the leisure and culture industries also make the most trips to the doctor (3.11 trips per year), while those in manufacturing or labour roles avoid the doctors the most (1.46).
Those working in health services were most likely to feel their boss was strict or uncompromising when it came to taking a day off sick, while those in media/publishing had the least strict bosses.
44 per cent of Brits dread having to make the call to their boss to tell them they are sick- with flu, stomach bugs and viruses the leading causes of missing work.
More than a quarter (28 per cent) admitted they put on a ‘sick voice’ if ringing in to get a day off work.
And 43 per cent of Brits have needed a sick day but been too afraid or unable to take one because of work pressures – the health industry feels that most with 57 per cent of workers experiencing this.
Philippa McLaglen from There® added: “We’re a nation of conscientious workers who worry and feel pressured when faced with taking time off work sick. Our Too ill to work insurance is designed to pay out if someone does injure themselves, like breaking an arm or leg, and can’t do their job for a while; Because with financial protection, anything is better than nothing to pay the bills if you get injured and can’t do your job.”
AVERAGE SICK DAYS TAKEN PER YEAR
Leisure, Cultural and Sporting Activities
3.8
Agriculture
3.7
Research
3.44
Telecoms
3.35
Marketing (e.g. Marketing Consultancy, Advertising, PR)
3.2
Education (Teachers, lecturers)
3.17
Health (Nurses, GPs, social workers)
3.09
Design (e.g. Fashion, Graphic Design, Product Design)
3.05
Media and Publishing
3.01
Construction
2.8
Finance (e.g. Banking, Insurance, Accountancy)
2.72
Computing, Electronics
2.72
Environmental Services (e.g. Sustainability, Recycling, Alternative Energy)
2.71
Government, Public Services
2.63
Engineering
2.52
Travel and Tourism
2.5
Utilities (e.g. Gas, Electricity etc)
2.44
Entertainment (e.g. Music, Film, Theatre)
2.32
Hospitality (e.g. Accommodation, Restaurants, Fast Food)
2.23
Retail
2.2
Transport and Distribution
1.94
Legal
1.9
Voluntary Sector (e.g. Charities, Membership Organisations)
1.87
Property
1.73
Industry (e.g. Manufacturing, Heavy Industry)
1.59
* Source: The research was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of There® surveying 2,000 UK workers across 20 industries. Carried out online August 2015.
ENDS
www.there.co.uk
