‘Presenteeism’ at work replaces pulling sickies

People are increasingly going to work when they are ill, highlighting a culture of “presenteeism” rather than staff pulling sickies, research has revealed.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said a fall in absence levels from just under eight days a year to less than seven coincided with a third of employers reporting a rise in the number of staff going to work ill.

The threat of redundancies and worries over job security were fuelling presenteeism, with the problem likely to get worse in organisations expected to make redundancies in the coming month, said the report.