National Sickie Day – just a bit of harmless fun?

Every year towards the end of January, headlines about ‘National Sickie Day’ appear - so, what is it?  

Statistically the first Monday of every February is when most workers are likely to call in sick, according to research first conducted by British law firm ELAS in 2011. This has been put down to a combination of factors including gloomy weather, post-holiday blues, and seasonal illnesses. However, some people question whether this is still the case almost 15 years on, but as a blog in Mint-HR.com says “Like most of these stats, finding a credible source is difficult.”

Moving beyond statistics, the media has wildly differing ways of representing the current state of the UK’s health and work behaviours – even in the same publication. In the last 12 months the Guardian has had the following headlines “It’s ‘national sickie day’ – is ill-health holding back the UK economy?” (on ‘National Sickie Day’ last year), and “Presenteeism: What is causing Britain’s working-while-sick epidemic?”, 6 months later.  I’ve seen plenty of well-meaning blogs and articles suggest marking the day by posting lists of the most outrageous excuses for time off, and one large tourist attraction offering free entry last year for the first 20 visitors who came saying “I’ve pulled a sickie on National Sickie Day”.

Surely this is harmless good fun, and doesn’t really matter?

I must admit my heart always sinks when I see these starting to appear. In many ways it is just light-hearted, but unfortunately the term ‘sickie’ implies that someone isn’t genuinely ill but ‘pulling the lead’. It’s tough enough managing work alongside a long-term health condition or disability, and you often feel as though you need to keep proving yourself and not letting people down by being off ill. The stigma these narratives can create can make taking time off even more difficult, and I often hear this from my clients, as well as having my own experience of it.  

The issue of ‘presenteeism’ grows

According to Disability Rights UK the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found that the cost of “presenteeism” grew by £25 billion in the UK last year compared with 2018 which is explored in their 2024 ‘Health Industry, Prosperous Economy’ discussion paper.  Their research has found that workers in the UK are among the least likely to take sick days, especially compared with other OECD and European countries. The costs include

“the impact on individual productivity and recovery time from short-term illness, making bad work decisions, and making colleagues sick – known as “contagious presenteeism”. 

I see this in my work. I have clients with a compromised immune system and another who is a carer for someone vulnerable, they don’t need anyone to bring their bugs into the workplace! On a personal level I know if I work through a fatigue flare up, I can be less productive and need to review my work when I am functioning better to make sure I have done what I needed to do. And yet never taking a day off ill is seen by many as a badge of honour. We also need to recognise that for the many people who have insecure jobs, if they don’t turn up they don’t get paid, and that in many workplaces people are having to manage higher levels of demand with a reduced workforce. Our work at Vitality360 often needs to focus on managing these pressures, as they can create a significant barrier to people putting in place and using the relevant adjustments to the way they work. This in turn can have a negative impact on the sustainability of their return to work. Presenteeism does not automatically equal productivity.

Healthier working practices and work/life balance

Having said all this there are positives too. A quick internet search of the term National Sickie Day shows how it can provide an opportunity for discussion about healthier working practices and the importance of work/life balance. Employers are being encouraged to reflect on their absence management procedures, how to support remote workers to ‘switch off’ and to recognise the ‘virtuous circle’ of a healthy workforce being supported by realistic employer expectations – which reduces workplace stress and maximises productivity. And in my opinion that has to be a good thing.

Written by Amanda Mason our Specialist Career and Employment Consultant at Vitality360