How far would you go to stay home from work?

There were two job related stories that caught my attention in the news yesterday, and both coincidentally were regarding sick days.

 

The first story was one I heard on my way to work yesterday morning on Radio 1. New research carried out for the government has found that NHS workers average a total of 10.7 sick days a year, compared to an average of 6.4 days per year for workers who aren't employed by the government. The research went on to highlight that amongst the reasons for the increased number of sick days taken by NHS staff were 'stress' and 'aches and pains'. To read the full news story as reported by Radio 1's Newsbeat, you can click here.

 

The story has gathered a lot of attention from employees of the NHS, who I imagine would feel quite perturbed by the broadcasting of this research, which has an air of criticism over the increased number of sick days taken, when compared with non government workers. I can't imagine any of us would like our workplace to broadcast the average sick days taken, as there is never going to be anything positive to be achieved from this knowledge.

Even though the statistics for the NHS were noticeably higher compared to the 6.4 average noted elsewhere, one wonders just how this data is calculated, and secondly- when you look at your own sick days, can you, hand on your heart say you have never taken a sick day that was perhaps slightly unnecessary?

We've all done it at some point or another- had one of those days where you feel slightly under the weather- nothing life threatening, but the idea of putting on your office clothes and heading out the door at 8 is just too much to bear, forcing your slight under the weatheredness to spawn into a full-blown horrendous illness, and this is what you tell your boss when you call in sick.

 

Over the years many people have researched the reasons behind sick days, and surveys have shown that it is not uncommon for the working public to have such sneaky 'sick days' as: hangover induced sick days, sick days for the world cup and other major sporting events or just because you don't quite feel like working. The best example of the UK's lack of enthusiasm for the workplace has to be the phenomenal number of closed offices during February's freak snowstorms. It was reported that over 1/5 of the national workforce had been 'unable to get into work', but how many of these people were merely opportunists rather than with actual logistical difficulties? I would like to take this opportunity to say I personally braved the weather and was one of only a few members of the office that actually did make it in that day. (Although I must also admit that this was only due to a colleague giving me a lift into work; thus I was unable even to try and use the old snow excuse!)

 

The problem is, when this goes too far- if you have to force yourself into work every week, and are wondering if you can 'get away' with another sick day so soon after the last, it is perhaps worth thinking about whether you are in the right job. Which leads me onto the other news story:

The BBC News website reported that a man who claimed assault to avoid going into work has been found to have made the whole thing up, and even inflicted nasty injuries upon himself to back up his tale. This has got to be one of the most elaborate and ridiculous methods of having a day off I have ever heard! Not only did he waste police time, but he actually took to major self harm, just to avoid his hotel cleaning job.

 

So I urge you, before you ask your friend to run you over just so you can have a week off work- ask yourself why you are doing this? Why are you taking unnecessary sick days, and feeling discontent with your job? I'd say it means that it's time for a new one, and that can be as simple as logging on to a jobs website- not attacking yourself with a boulder. So go on, start that job hunt, and find the job you actually want to go into work for.

 

I'd like to encourage you all to let out your guilty confessions in the comment section- have you ever taken a cheeky sick day? if so, what for? We won't tell anyone...