Today, Aug. 24, is the date when American workers
most often tell their bosses that they are too ill to work, a study found.
Bloomberg reported that 300 businesses with more than 10,000
employees participated in the study by
Flamingo, a firm that helps companies manage employee absences and medical
leaves. Flamingo found that an average of 0.9 percent of those employees were out sick
on Aug. 24, a higher percentage than on any other day of the year, The study
analyzed data on sick days taken by American workers over the past five years.
Second on Flamingo's list of the 10
"Sickest Days of the Year" was Feb. 13, the day before
Valentine’s Day and a day that can align with the Super Bowl.
The most common way in which employers call
in sick is via text, including WhatsApp Slack and Messenger, the study found. Fifty-four percent preferred
that method, followed by calling (33 percent) and email (12 percent). The most
common reasons cited for a sick day were stomach issues (54 percent) and
COVID-19 (25 percent).
Stress and anxiety were given as reasons by
9 percent of those polled. One observer noticed that trend in her own
organization. “It's not necessarily that they have strep or a fever, but that
they need a day for themselves,” Paaras Parker, chief human resources officer
at payroll software company Paycor, told Bloomberg.
Remote or hybrid work environments may also
have an effect on attitudes—and on productivity.
“People clearly feel more comfortable
working from home when they're coughing or when their nose is very stuffy,” said Jeff
Levin-Scherz, population health leader at insurance company WTW, in an interview with Bloomberg. “If they feel well enough to work, they
can feel more comfortable knowing they're not going to pass anything to anybody
else.”
Whatever the reason for calling in (or out)
sick, “I don't think it's our place to guess why somebody is taking time off,
but to realize that human beings need time off and to create environments and
policies that allow them to exercise this right when need be,” said Parker.