ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,000 human resources managers to find out their opinion about workers taking sick leave and whether it is embarrassing them, and found, among other data, that 3 in 10 managers think workers with serious colds should not take it. the day off.
According to the report, 1 in 4 managers usually suspect that workers exaggerate their condition or lie, while 34% usually ask for medical documentation as proof of illness from employees requesting leave.
The survey found that 20% of managers encourage workers to go to the office even when they are sick. Surprisingly, 45% of these managers (or 11% of the total sample) admit that they often embarrass visibly ill workers who decide to go to the office.
Additionally, 27% of managers overall believe that a culture that encourages sick employees to work is good for productivity.
“Having a culture where workers are asked to work or are simply expected to work when they are sick is bad for companies because it reinforces the idea that companies only see you as a number and not a human being,” says Julia Toothacre, career and resume strategist at Resume Builder.
Toothacre added: “It creates a culture that lacks empathy and ultimately does not care about the health, well-being or productivity of its employees. People who are sick are more likely to make mistakes and may take longer to understand. “It makes no sense to encourage sick people to work when they are not 100% prepared to do so.”
Only 20% of managers believe workers should take a day off for a mild cold, while 38% say the employee should work from home, 20% say they should still go to the office, and 22% say they should still go to the office. says you should take the day partially off, but still respond to emails or attend meetings.
For a severe cold, 70% of managers think workers should take time off, 14% think the employee should work from home, 5% think workers should still come to the office, and 11% think that workers should take the day off partially.
“Covid-19 has greatly changed the way we work and, specifically, how we work when we are sick,” says Toothacre.
Managers say clearer policies are needed. Overall, 65% say that clearer sick leave policies are definitely (32%) or probably (33%) needed in their workplace.
Managers were asked about when they believe it is reasonable for workers to take sick days, and many do not believe it is always reasonable to take a day off for reasons of personal health, mental health or family emergencies.
“Strict or unofficial policies will create an unsupportive environment for employees, ultimately causing organizations to lose talent,” says Toothacre. “Employees are people and want to be seen as such. They get sick, they have tough days, their family members get sick, and life happens. The average employee will not take advantage of the system if they are in a flexible and supportive culture.”
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