More than three-quarters of adults in the UK have worked while ill, according to Bluecrest Wellness.
The Bluecrest Wellness’ White Paper, Prevention, a new frontier for wellbeing, published today explores the rise in preventative health awareness and employee priorities and attitudes. A survey of 1,437 employees conducted by Find Out Now on behalf of Bluecrest Wellness revealed that 76 per cent had worked while ill in the previous year.
The primary reason given was a desire not to let their team down (48 per cent), followed by financial necessity (38 per cent). Nearly 20 per cent reported feeling pressured by their employers to work when ill. Among those who did, 44 per cent said it slowed their rehabilitation, while 23 per cent said it had a detrimental effect on their mental health.
Over a quarter or 28 per cent stated that they were not themselves with colleagues, 15 per cent acknowledged making mistakes, and 17 per cent felt off while dealing with customers. Women were more likely to work while ill, with 37 per cent doing so frequently in the previous year compared to 24 per cent of men.
Additionally, the report found a generational divide with workers over 55 more likely to take sick absence than younger employees.
It also found that many workers are ill and have difficulty accessing primary care. In the last three months, 55 per cent felt exhausted, and more than half were hesitant to schedule a GP consultation. The most common reasons were difficulties scheduling an appointment (40 per cent), not feeling sick enough (20 per cent), and not wanting to disturb the NHS (18 per cent).
Bluecrest Wellness chief medical officer Dr Martin Thornton says: “Presenteeism is alive and well in British businesses, and it needs to be addressed. People should not be working when they’re not well – and people should absolutely be accessing health support when they need it.
“At Bluecrest Wellness we specialise in preventative health. What’s worrying for us is that opportunities to prevent and detect the early stages of chronic diseases in the community are beginning to be routinely missed. We know that many of these can start with very vague symptoms. Your first sign of heart problems could be just shortness of breath. Your first sign of cancer could be just losing weight. And your first sign of diabetes could just be fatigue.
“It can be really difficult to put those vague symptoms together, which is why it’s so worrying that so many people are avoiding the GP – or waiting to see if things get worse. Businesses absolutely have a role to play here, not just in facilitating time off, but in actively supporting health and wellbeing – and investing in preventative health strategies.”
Bluecrest chief executive Dominque Kent says: “If organisations really want to improve things like sickness absence rates and productivity, the answer is not to expect or encourage people to work when they’re unwell, but to help them live well – and stay well for the long term.
“There’s been an explosion in health benefits in recent years, but preventative health has often been a missing link. Yet supporting people to understand their health and health risks, make lifestyle changes and spot potentially serious issues early makes clear business sense.”
