Employers urged to take action over staff absenteeism

UK employers are being advised to address the issue of staff absenteeism, following the news that as many as one in five workers have admitted to feigning illness the last time they took sick leave.

According to recent research, sickness absence among UK workers currently accounts for more than a fifth of the total sickness absence taken across Europe.

Many of the employees questioned said that they had faked illness in order to look after friends or family.

Meanwhile, boredom also seems to play a significant role, with some workers reporting that they would be less likely to take sick leave if their jobs were more interesting.

Separate studies have suggested that levels of absenteeism in the UK may actually be falling, with a recent report from the Confederation of British Industry finding that workers took an average 6.4 days of sick leave last year, compared with 6.7 days in 2007.

Nevertheless, experts advise that staff absenteeism can have a serious effect on productivity, and costs the UK economy billions of pounds every year.