More than a third of UK adults have continued to work while feeling unwell in the past 18 months, according to research from Canada Life.
Over the last 18 months, 35 per cent of UK adults have continued to work despite being ill. The figure rises to almost half (46 per cent) among those aged 18-34.
A fifth (21 per cent) of those admitted to working while ill said they would have taken time off if lockdown restrictions had not been in place. The most common reasons for working while sick were that the illness was not serious enough to warrant time off (50 per cent), their workload was too heavy to take time off (27 per cent), and nearly a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) were concerned about the financial consequences of taking time off.
This pressure is reflected in the hours employees work, with more than a fifth (22 per cent) of those working from home reporting working longer hours in the last 18 months than before the pandemic. Men start earlier (24 per cent vs 19 per cent for women), while women finish later (18 per cent for men vs 23 per cent for women). Meanwhile, approximately 20 per cent of employees admitted to checking their emails more frequently outside of working hours than previously.
The study also emphasises the issue of ‘presenteeism.’ A third (32 per cent) of those working from home felt more pressure to ‘be present’ at work, though this has decreased from 46 per cent during the pandemic’s peak in 2020. The pressure to be present has particularly affected younger employees, with 37 per cent of 18-34 year-olds feeling this way compared to only 27 per cent of those over 55. Presenteeism affects women more than men, with 37 per cent of women feeling the need to be more ‘present’ at work compared to 28 per cent of men.
According to the research, one-fifth (20 per cent) of employees working from home found their working day to be more stressful than before. This is reflected in the fact that 18 per cent of people felt a need to prove that they worked every day (rising to 23 per cent for women) and 14 per cent of employees felt pressured to attend every meeting or call throughout the day (rising to 19 per cent for women).
Canada Life protection sales director Dan Crook says: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, and the increase in working from home, we have all had to adapt to a new routine. We’ve had to get used to fewer interactions and less contact with our colleagues, alongside our increased use of technology. This has had a drastic effect on how our workdays are structured and how work gets done, and in some cases, it has had a negative impact on mental health, causing higher levels of stress and anxiousness to be ‘present’.
“It is so important for employees to take time off, and employers have a key role to play in facilitating this. Group protection policies are a way for employers to demonstrate their commitment to employee wellbeing, including services such as GP access, mental health support and burnout prevention. It is through policies such as these that employers can show that they are serious about the wellbeing of their workers, and in turn, encouraging employees to take care of their own wellbeing too.”