 Don't be a "mucus trooper", the TUC is warning workers |
Three out of four people have struggled to work despite being ill, threatening to pass on their bugs to their colleagues, the Trades Union Congress says. White-collar workers and those based in the West Midlands are most likely to go the office when they are sick, the TUC's report indicates.
Among the 1,000 workers surveyed, the most common reason for not wanting to take time off was that other people depended on the jobs they did.
About 16% said they struggled into work when they were ill because they could not afford to lose pay.
The TUC accused advertisements that show workers losing out when they are not at work of being "irresponsible".
 |  The TUC's message is, don't be a mucus trooper  |
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "We are not the nation of malingerers that some paint. "In fact, we struggle into work even when we are too ill to do so because we don't want to let people down. It's all part of our long-hours culture."
He said long hours, stress and increasing workloads were making people sick.
"The rest of us don't want to do extra work for those pulling a 'sickie', but nor do we want to pick up germs from colleagues or those with whom we share overcrowded public transport," he said.
"The TUC's message is, don't be a mucus trooper. Look after yourself properly."
Have you been affected by issues covered in this story? Send us your comments using the form below.
Your comments
Despite the clear evidence that oddly enough people are ill, employers even in the public sector seem to think this is a problem rather than understand their human resource is an asset that now and again deserves some TLC. The long hour culture is alive and well and never thinks of the real cost...such is progress.
Tony, Morpeth, UK
I started a new job on Monday and thanks to people going to work when they are sick and the joys of air con, I am now ill, doesn't look very good!!
Rachel, Banbury
I am a temp, and as such I have never ever taken a sick day, no matter how ill I have been. I would be entitled to statutory sick pay after three consecutive days off sick, but by then someone else would have been hired to replace me, leaving me with no sick pay and no job. I console myself with the fact that I have been paid to turn up at work when I am so ill that I can barely stand, let alone do any useful work, and let's not mention my "innovative" telephone manner with customers when my mental health problems flare up.
Anon., London
We are constantly being given statistics by the government informing us of how much employers are losing by the large number of sick days taken by employees. Now we are being told we should take more time off when we are ill. A no win situation?
Nicola, Burton-on-Trent
| If someone is sick, they should be resting at home |
If someone is sick, they should be resting at home. Why not let their bosses call them at home to find out? I heard this was done by army to their recruits who reported sick and was granted home leave...
Michael, Newcastle, UK In my six working years I have never had a day off sick, the definition of a cold for some people is a runny nose, and that constitutes a day off. I don't think enough people are actually honest about how sick they are when off. Sometimes people forget they are actually paid to work. Next time your ill ask yourself "Am I actually that ill I can't go in for a few hours to do the important daily matters, then leave a little early?"
Wes, Delaware, USA
The only excuse for time off work is hospitalisation or having a dangerously infectious disease. A cold or flu is not a good enough reason. I haven't had a day off work in my entire working life and work through colds and flu etc. It takes my mind off the illness and you recover quicker keeping active and making the body work than sitting at home doing nothing and letting it fester.
Paul Hill, Halesowen, UK
I work in the catering business preparing food and serving customers. I do not take sick leave because of the bad attitude from management if I do. I wonder how many customers I've infected because of that. There should be laws against management bullies.
Gavin Bowring, UK
I had nine and half sick days last year, next time I am off I get a disciplinary, all my sicknesses where virus caught in the office. 13 years previous sickness record was good. Unfortunately I cant afford to have unpaid sick leave so I will have to go in, no matter how ill I am, even though I don't want to spread it!
Leah, Derby
My previous job was at a call centre under an agency and we were treated like infected cattle. Sick days were met by a disciplinary on return and even with a doctors note you were guaranteed a fight. Thing was, with all the poor quality air in the centre if one person was sick it got circulated and everyone was affected. People who are genuinely sick are too afraid of the consequences of taking days off, and most of us cannot afford it.
Gary Erwin, Belfast, Co. Down
A colleague came in to work before Christmas with a severely sore throat and cough, for no other reason than he thought he "should". Then we all got it and I was ill over Christmas because of it. However, by the time you know you're ill, it's usually too late and you've passed it to everyone anyway. Who's to say what is the right thing to do?
Karla, Epsom, Surrey
| The whole idea that we are indispensable is wrong |
The whole idea that we are indispensable is wrong. Somebody else will pick up the work or it will wait. If the work piles up, let it, a well run business should cope with this and cover these eventualities. After ten years of living with liver disease, I had to put myself before my company. I think going to work ill will probably cause more problems than it solves. We make mistakes and can end up losing that vital contract, or having to do all the work again; we also have a duty to society not to spread disease if at all possible.
Sandy, Scotland Because I work shifts, the nature of a sick day depends on when I'm ill. I probably pull a "sickie" about once a year when on morning shifts, because that's when it isn't much of a problem to my colleagues for me to do so. When any of us are on night shifts, though, we'd have to be hospitalised to prevent us from turning up. Both the impact on my colleagues and the impact on my pay packet has and will continue to drag me in to work, germs and all.
Anonymous, Wales
I feel very strongly about all of this. Two years ago I had a nasty virus bug. I never recovered properly because I had so much work to do I forced myself to come in to work and over did it. I would come in for a week, feel worse then have a week off sick. This carried on for five weeks. Not long after this I developed arthritis and Fibromyalgia (muscular pain, chronic fatigue, sleep disorder). I've now come to realise that this was a result of not recovering properly from that horrid virus. My life's been turned upside down. Coming into work really wasn't worth it after all. The ironic thing is that I caught the bug off one of my colleagues.
Lisa, Langley, UK
Sick pay is a benefit - it is perhaps helpful to remember that your employer is being charitable to you by paying you when you are non-productive. I am not saying that they shouldn't, but let's see it for what it is - a perk, not a right. It's in the company's interest to ensure the majority of employees remain productive (and are not all laid waste with a virus - the response to SARS here last year was an extreme example but illustrates the point) and hence managers would also be wise to remember this when people are genuinely sick.
john, Toronto, Canada
| The illness was justified and required hospitalisation |
In a previous job I was given a formal warning because I had taken too many sick days over the course of a year. The illness was justified and required hospitalisation. In my warning I was told I could not take any more sick days in the last two months of the year or I would be given a final warning so when I was stuck down with flu the next month I had to come to work or lose my job. It outraged me that a company could do something like this.
Caroline, Oxford, UK I am very, very surprised at these stats. I would have thought it is the reverse, i.e. 3 out 4 people call in sick when they are not. Certainly the impression I get in my organisation which happens to be a Blue Chip Ftse 100 company that the era of long hours is well and truly behind us. Yes there are the few people who are genuinely conscientious about their work but this appears to the exception rather than the norm.
Bal, London, UK
I've come into work today and I feel rough. After reading this I've decided to go home. Everyone at work seems to think it's the best idea, even though some of them will have to do more while I'm away, they don't want my germs. I don't blame them.
Andy, Liverpool, UK
I work as part of a projects team that put together tenders. If I was absent through sickness at a critical stage of the tender process my company could lose out on a business opportunity worth millions. I think firms have to learn to manage sickness better, put contingencies in place, and as an employee if you believe you are starting to become ill, brief your colleagues so you are dispensable.
Stephen Hodgson, Worcester, UK
| Simple things like doctor's and dentist appointments are impossible to go to |
I work for an IT training company, and if I go off sick, the course will probably be cancelled, resulting in customers needlessly paying out for hotel stays, travel costs etc. Not only do I have problems taking time off sick, but simple things like doctor's and dentist appointments are impossible to go to, getting the car to its service and MOT is impossible. Either employers need to be better at helping to understand the problems that their business can bring to employees, or doctors, dentists and other professions must try to accommodate people who cannot get time off during the week.
Andy, UK The only reason I go to work when I'm really ill, is because we get threatened with disciplinary action if we take a sick day. Even if we have a doctor's note to prove that we were ill!!!
Rachel, Chippenham, Wiltshire
I have had two nasty colds recently - but I have had to be in the office since we are so overloaded that there is no-one available to pick up my job if I am not there ...... so if I am out sick the work then just mounts up and leads to me having to work extra long days (I already work long days) to clear the back-log. So saying - "don't come in if you are ill" is fine in theory but not in practise.
Andrew, Portsmouth, UK
If you have a cold, get to work, it's part of life. So you pick up a few bugs, big deal. You can pick up bugs anywhere and a cold will not dramatically affect you or your work. It's true, we are a nation of malingerers. Bet those same people don't stay at home lying in bed recovering, no way, they will be out shopping etc.
Dave, Sweden
I hope the TUC in their infinite wisdom are taking into account those of us working under contract who do not receive any company sick pay only the paltry SSP and then only after 3 'Waiting Days'! The long-hours culture comes out of necessity not of choice.
Jane Williamson, Chorley, Lancashire I used to have a boss who didn't miss a day through illness in 10 years (for which the company gave him a �20 gift token...) but he regularly gave his germs to everyone else, prompting a lot of sick leave, saying he had to pass it on to as many people as possible. Was he certifiable?
Ian, UK
I can definitely agree with this. I spent a couple of years working as a chef in a busy kitchen. The thought of leaving my fellow colleagues sweating out the lunch time rush whilst I was in bed was enough to drag me in, even in the grips of the worst cold/flu. Now I am currently working in a call centre, before heading to uni. Believe me, that work ethic has not transferred. No real surprise there though.
Will, Coventry, UK
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