Quarter of UK workers have to be 'hospitalised' before calling in sick

UK employers are failing to reduce levels of presenteeism, as almost one quarter (23%) of UK workers – equating to around seven million people – would only take time off work if they were hospitalised.

The research from Canada Life Group Insurance found that UK employees are reluctant to take time off work despite being ill, with nine in ten (89%) saying they still go to work despite feeling sick this year – just one per cent less than the 90% recorded in 2016.

Worryingly 47% of respondents would come into work with a stomach bug and more than half (55%) would go into work if they had the flu. This has led to almost half (48%) of UK employees becoming ill due to an unwell colleague.

But, what exactly, is the root cause of this pressure to work through an illness? 69% say their illness wasn’t enough to warrant time off, a third (34%) cited high workloads, whilst 22% were motivated by financial concerns.