More than half of adults don’t take time off when they are ill but 1 in 10 admit to pulling a sickie to catch-up on their favourite TV series

November 26, 2016

Some 2,000 adults were quizzed in order to show the reality of a sick day
Those who earn more than £50,000 a year are more likely to pull a sickie
Around 1 in 5 say they continue to work from home despite their illness
20% of women worry their boss won’t believe them when they call in sick

Stephen Matthews For Mailonline

Published:
11:45 EST, 25 November 2016

|
Updated:
11:47 EST, 25 November 2016

e-mail

View
comments

Adults are more likely to call in sick when they are hungover than when they are genuinely ill, a survey has found.

More than half of Britons don’t take time off when they have come down with a sickness bug.

While one in ten admit to pulling a sickie in order to catch-up on their favourite Netflix series.

However, when off for whatever reason, watching TV programmes is the clear favourite option.

Game of Thrones was the most popular choice, although younger adults tended to watch Friends while snuggled under their duvet but pensioners prefer a bit of Downton Abbey.

More than half of Britons don’t take time off when they have come down with a sickness bug, a survey of 2,000 adults revealed

More than 2,000 adults were quizzed in the survey conducted by Olbas to reveal exactly what the modern UK sick day looks like.

It found when it comes to bunking off work, those who earn more than £50,000 a year are more likely to pull a sickie.

Some 55 per cent claim they are unable to forget about work and take a break from their duties when off poorly.

Girl, 4, who was left blind, speechless and deaf after being…

Why DO so many people regain weight after dieting? A…

Young adults are suffering from ‘old age conditions’ more…

Depressed teenagers are more likely to suffer from arthritis…

While one in five saying they continue to work from home despite their illness.

Dr Roger Henderson, a Shropshire-based GP, said: ‘It is always sensible to stay at home if unwell allowing you to rest and recover more quickly, as well as preventing you passing on any infections to your work colleagues.

‘Plus, staying hydrated and eating well when at home, rather than at work, is easier to do.

However, when off for whatever reason, watching TV programmes is the clear favourite option. Game of Thrones was the most popular choice

‘Alleviating symptoms with medicines can help you get a better night’s sleep and feel more comfortable – although remember, don’t do too much activity too quickly when you start to feel you are improving.

‘Listen to your body – it will tell you what it needs and take that extra day off work to rest if you need it to feel fully well again.’

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T CHECK EMAILS OUTSIDE OF WORK

Demanding bosses who expect employees to check their emails outside of work are causing exhaustion and damaging family life, a study found in August.

Soaring numbers of workers are complaining of burnout because they are unable to disconnect from the stress of the office.

Rather than resenting the additional time working, being forced to stay alert is causing the stress, according to the US researchers.

It means rather than spending time unwinding once out of the office, people feel the need to be ‘switched on’ hours after they have officially clocked off.

He added: ‘When suffering from a cold, flu or other viral infection it is important to allow yourself time to rest and to seek medicines to help alleviate symptoms, aiding a quicker recovery.

‘Getting enough sleep and avoiding pressure and stress is key, alongside staying comfortable, keeping hydrated and eating well.

‘Avoid greasy, fatty or processed foods while you’re sick. Fast food and most processed foods have little to no nutritional value and they bring hardly anything to the table in terms of boosting the immune system and helping you to feel better.’

The survey also found that 20 per cent of women worry their boss will not believe them when they say they are ill.

But to avoid taking time off work, 61 per cent said they seek relief from over the counter pharmaceutical products.

While it also revealed a lot has changed in the past few decades in terms of what happens on an average sick day.

More than half of adults recalled spending their days ill as a youngster in bed with hot soup.

While 31 per cent of adults said their ill children now watch their favourite TV shows and films. Twelve per cent even reported letting them play on their tablets.