Sick employees still go to work

In fact, almost half (48%) said their stress levels at work have increased over the last six months. Many said taking time off would result in a fuller inbox and a longer to-do list—creating more stress.

The study also found 53% weren’t able to take time off work if they were ill because they couldn’t afford to miss their pay.

But those employees who took time off gave the following reasons:

• 36% called in sick because they had a doctor’s appointment;
• 25% didn’t feel like going to work; and
• 18% needed more sleep.

But even if sick employees stay home, they will still work. Twenty-eight percent said they actually checked their emails—even though they’d told their employer they were unwell.

“We’ve found our latest research rather surprising, not least because as many employees are taking time off work to recover from mental health issues as physical ones, thereby illustrating our workforce is tired, stressed and under immense pressure,” said Ryan Lazar, director of CareerBuilder Canada.

“It’s important to take the correct amount of time to recover from an illness, rather than trying to work in the interim. Ultimately, if the Canadian workforce does not take the time to get back to good health, companies will face a drop in productivity levels and morale and continue to see a stark increase in staff taking time off work in the long term.”

To help improve employees’ mental well-being CareerBuilder.ca offers the following three tips:

• Watch for the warning signs – Stress symptoms can range from feeling anxious to a loss of appetite, to sleeping problems. If any of these symptoms concern you, talk to your doctor.
• Get physical – Exercise regularly, which reduces stress and improves mental well-being.
• Talk to someone – Speak to a co-worker or your boss. It’s important to develop good relationships at work; colleagues can offer support in stressful situations.

About 500 full- or part-time Canadian workers were interviewed online in September and October 2015.

Also read:

• Sick employees still show up for work
• 10 strange reasons for calling in sick
• A third of U.S. workers use fake sick days