Is workplace culture disincentivising taking sick leave?
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New findings have revealed the extent to which Australians are avoiding taking a day off, even if it comes at the expense of their health and wellbeing.
According to people2people Recruitment, approximately 85 per cent of respondents in a new survey hesitate to take sick leave, and often prefer the appearance of powering through rather than taking time to recover.
Of this proportion, around a third claimed they were too busy, slightly more cited feelings of guilt, and around a quarter feared judgement.
For the head of HR solutions at people2people, Suhini Wijayasinghe, this proves many Australians are not comfortable stepping away from work and that “presenteeism is still being driven by workplace pressure and culture”.
However, a strong majority (81 per cent) agreed that flu shots should be offered at work for free, and despite the relatively low actual rates of vaccinations, this suggests the intent is there.
With only 37 per cent of respondents reporting they had received a flu vaccine in the last year, there is “a real opportunity for employers to make preventative health measures more accessible and normalised in the workplace”, Wijayasinghe said.
While sick day sentiment is fairly universal, actual use is less so. Sixty-two per cent of respondents claimed they used less than three of their 10-day sick leave over the last year, but almost a quarter reportedly used more than this entire allowance, suggesting some workers still choose to stretch limited leave entitlements.
However, when the leave dried up, 62 per cent claimed they went into work despite feeling ill, and another 8 per cent said they had done so once.
Overall, it appears some are willing to overlook pressures or feelings of guilt when they can, but at the end of the day, coming into work was still a priority.
People2people highlighted that pressure may be linked to comfort level in speaking up. While 43 per cent said they felt very comfortable communicating with their manager when they were ill, 25 per cent said they felt uncomfortable, and another 12 per cent avoided it altogether.
Wijayasinghe said: “Sick leave is not just a policy issue, it is also a workplace culture issue.”
“If employees do not feel safe using sick leave when they need it, or if they have no safety net to begin with, organisations risk higher transmission, lower productivity, and poorer wellbeing across their workforce.”
RELATED TERMS
Your organization's culture determines its personality and character. The combination of your formal and informal procedures, attitudes, and beliefs results in the experience that both your workers and consumers have. Company culture is fundamentally the way things are done at work.
An employee is a person who has signed a contract with a company to provide services in exchange for pay or benefits. Employees vary from other employees like contractors in that their employer has the legal authority to set their working conditions, hours, and working practises.
Amelia McNamara
Amelia is a Professional Services Journalist with Momentum Media, covering Lawyers Weekly, HR Leader, Accountants Daily and Accounting Times. She has a background in technical copy and arts and culture journalism, and enjoys screenwriting in her spare time.
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