Seventy-one percent of Canadian workers frequently go to work when they’re feeling sick, according to a survey.
The OfficeTeam survey also finds that managers are aware of the issue, as 68% say that ailing employees head into the office at least somewhat frequently.
The survey also revealed differences by age.
Workers between the ages of 18 and 34 were more likely than any other age group to frequently go to work when feeling sick (76%).
“Many professionals fear falling behind or feel that they can’t afford to take a sick day, so they head into work when they are under the weather,” says Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Managers should encourage their teams to stay home when they are sick. Let staff know that there’s nothing heroic about spreading colds and flus.”
The company has five tips to help maintain a well workplace.
- Address the issue head-on. At the start of cold or flu season, remind employees to avoid spreading illness throughout the office by staying home when they are sick.
- Model the behaviour. If you’re a manager, resist the urge to come in sick yourself. If you do, employees will assume the same is expected of them.
- Give “homework.” Offer those suffering from minor ailments the ability to work from home, if possible. They may be less likely to come in and infect others if they don’t have to use sick days.
- Keep it clean. Encourage staff to clean up common areas such as break rooms, and make hand sanitizer available to avoid the spread of germs.
- Have a backup plan. Identify team members who can take over responsibilities for sick employees to avoid backlogs. Hire temporary professionals, if necessary, to keep projects on track.
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