Maybe it really is a stomach virus, or the new old devil: the coronavirus. Of course, it could also just be the late summer blues. Whatever the reason, Aug. 24 is the day American workers most often tell their bosses they won’t be able to work. What day does the worker usually not show up? February 13th, usually around the time of the Super Bowl, the final game of a major professional football championship, and Valentine’s Day. It’s hard to guess why.
The dates come from a study by Flamingo, a company that helps companies manage employee absence and sick leave, which analyzed data on U.S. workers taking sick leave over the past five years. The study, which involved about 300 companies with more than 10,000 employees, found that on Aug. 24, an average of 0.9% of employees in the study were sick, a higher rate than any other day of the year. Flamenco founder David Helenberger.
More than half cited a stomach virus as a reason for leaving the office, with most citing sick leave for symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea. These issues outnumbered the coronavirus, which accounted for about a quarter of total absences. Physical injuries such as broken bones and muscle strains were also cited, leading 6% to stay home rather than go to the office.
Paaras Parker, director of human resources at Paycor software company, said that in addition to physical ailments, her organization has seen a significant increase in employees staying home due to anxiety or stress-related conditions, accounting for the number of sick days in Flamingos. Nearly 9% of the polls. “They don’t necessarily have tonsillitis or a fever, but they need to be alone for a day,” he said.
Parker said record levels of employee burnout in the wake of the pandemic were a “welcome change” in workplace attitudes, with employees feeling more confident about taking sick leave for mental health reasons.
The advent of remote work is also changing the sick leave culture. Employees who feel unwell but don’t have the option to work remotely are nearly twice as likely to come to the office with symptoms than hybrid workers, according to a new WFH Research survey.
That bodes ill for health, as back-to-office orders tighten and office densities increase, leading to increased hotspots for infectious diseases such as flu and the common cold. “Obviously, when people have a cough or stuffy nose, they’re more comfortable working from home,” said Jeff Levin-Scherz, director of health at insurance company WTW (formerly Willis Towers Watson). Then they’ll feel more at ease knowing they’re not passing anything on to their peers.”
But for employees who are still required to be in the office in person, Levine-Shieltz emphasized the importance of practicing good hygiene, such as washing hands frequently, and insisted that companies continuously check air quality, practices that have become less common during the pandemic. Commonplace.
“With a lot of employees out of the office these days, some of that effort could be an amenity that helps encourage people to come forward,” Levine-Shieltz said. Access to perks such as healthy food and exercise facilities can serve the dual purpose of improving employee health and office attendance, he added.
In any case, Parker said, it’s not good practice to question employees’ reasons for taking sick leave. “I don’t think we should speculate about why someone is taking a day off, but rather recognize that humans need time off and create environments and policies that allow them to exercise that right when necessary,” he said.
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