32% of Britons have pretended to be sick to miss a day off work this year, according to a new study.
The research, by Actimel, said the top reasons for feigning illness were workload (41% of women), a hangover (27% of men), and boredom (20% of men).
63% admitted to feeling guilty about pulling a sickie, but, despite these feelings of remorse, they still felt it was worth it.
Conversely, when employees are actually ill, they do go into the office (67%). Women are more likely to take more than a single day to re-cooperate (68%, compared to 60% for men), while 25 to 34 year olds take the most genuine sick days (72%).
Dr David Lewis, a Psychologist, said: “It is interesting that nearly two-thirds of the nation (63%) say 'it's worth it' to pull a fake sick day, but those who feel genuinely poorly go into the office so as not to put extra workload onto their colleagues.
“This shows an interesting correlation between wanting and needing a day off from our chosen career, which is a core component of how we view ourselves and form part of our identity. Humans are capable of adapting in any situation and in the workplace where there are more than capable colleagues; we should feel that taking time off to recuperate and get our health back on track is ok.”
