More than a third of all sick leaves are taken on the first day of the week and the most common reason for absence was musculo-skeletal problems, according to a study. Following them were viral infections and stress-related illness, reports BBC.
The study by consultancy firm Mercer also says that the highest rate of absence by far occurs in January. The findings are based on an analysis of sickness management records for 11,000 employees from a range of private sector firms.
The study found that 13 of the 20 most popular days for sickness absence occurred in January - six of these between 2 and 9 January. The study found that 35 percent of all sick leaves are taken on a Monday. However, the lowest sick leave rate was recorded on Fridays at just three percent of the total.
Researcher Phiroze Bilimoria said, "Monday sickness and frequent short-term absence can be a symptom of low employee engagement and morale within certain teams or departments." Professor Cary Cooper, an Occupational Health Psychologist at the University of Lancaster, said, "People are doing more work under more demanding conditions, so they are under more stress and need more rest and recuperation."
According Cooper, some employees may feel the weekend is not enough so they take the extra day. "But I suspect what is happening is people are lying about their reason for sickness absence. It is more believable to use back pain as a reason as often stress is seen as a four letter word. It's seen as embarrassing," Cooper added.
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