9 in 10 UK employees go into work ill

As winter approaches, and the onslaught of coughs, colds and the flu with it, the workplace must prepare for absences. 

However, nine in ten UK employees still go into work when they are ill, suggesting more needs to be done around this culture of presenteeism.

Research from Canada Life Group Insurance found that high workloads were a top reason employees give when refusing to take time off to recover (28%), followed by financial concerns (21%) and feeling guilty (17%).

A fear of being perceived as lazy (16%), weak (14%) or inconsiderate (14%) also affected individuals' choice to take time off for illness, despite just 22% of respondents thinking going in sick is a sensible decision. 69% of employees say they perform worse at work when ill than when they are healthy.