A cause of ill feeling
A recent survey revealed 57 per cent of UK adults have phoned in sick when they are not. I didn’t find this particularly surprising (even if it remains disappointing). But I was surprised to hear what people were doing on these days away from the office.
According to the poll, half took a day off just to stay at home and watch TV. Now, I’m as big a fan of Bargain Hunt as the next man – but calling in sick just to watch daytime TV? I admit I’m baffled. Stress and too much work were cited as the top reasons for needing a day off, which might explain it. But in my experience, if you really are that harassed and overworked, a single day away watching repeats of Cash in the Attic isn’t going to solve the underlying problem.
In the study, 9 per cent admitted taking time off to go to a sporting event. A separate survey conducted by a recruitment firm has found that even now one-in-six staff are planning to be “off sick” to attend the next year’s Olympic Games.
By some measures Britain hasn’t performed too badly. In China, it is 71 per cent, in India it is 62 per cent and in Australia 58 per cent. In fact it is France that has the smallest number, with just 16 per cent. Well, that’s what they claim…
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When I first became self-employed, I had many a happy afternoon watching re-runs of ‘The Bill’. Then the household bills started coming in, and that was the end of that.
A cause of ill feeling has become common among the people who do regular and tedious jobs every day with little breaks. Human mind thirsts for variety in everything. Hence people find false reasons for ill feeling and try to stay away from their monotonous jobs often. The companies which employ them may offer off-work activities like get-togethers and picnics.
The results of this survey should be a wake up call to employers. They should be thinking about what could be done to motivate employees, e.g. employees could be rewarded for improved productivity with tickets to major sporting events [apparently they are going anyway], and setting up a schedule for attendance. This may help to minimise the unplanned loss of productive hours.