Employees want colleagues to stay at home if sick

WHAT better excuse to take a “duvet day” than to blame your colleagues now that research reveals most Irish employees want their ill co-workers to go home and recover.

An employee who comes into work coughing and sneezing is not impressing anyone — even the boss, according to the research.

The study found that 75% of Irish employees would prefer their sick colleagues to recover at home rather than risk spreading infection in the workplace.

And the same view is taken by 86% of Irish managers who believe that their employees would be more productive after taking a rest day and recovering.

However, one in four employees said they felt under pressure from their manager to attend work, even when they are sick.

The study also found few employees take a sick day when, in fact, they were well enough to work. Seven out of 10 said they had never taken a sick day unless they were ill.

And just 10% of employees never appear to take advantage of their sick leave entitlement.

The research, commissioned by Benylin and undertaken by Taylor Nelson Sofres, is part of a campaign to encourage people to rest as well as taking a flu remedy.

Dr Michael O’Brien, a Dublin-based GP, said it was not uncommon for people to put pressure on themselves to go to work although they are often better off taking time to rest and recover.

“The flu virus is highly contagious. In general, people need to be aware of their potential to infect their colleagues and family by ‘droplet infection’ — coughing or sneezing,” he warned.

Dr O’Brien said he would advise anyone with the flu to get plenty of rest, drink a lot of liquids, carefully dispose of used tissues and consider taking a medication to relieve the fever and muscle ache.

He also warned people risk developing serious complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis by ignoring the early warning signs of colds and flu.

* More information on the Benylin campaign is available on www.takeabenylinday.ie.