A survey conducted by Seesam Insurance shows that the proportion of people going to work when sick has doubled compared to the pandemic period. While in the 2021 survey a quarter of the respondents confirmed that they would go to work when sick, this year one in two admitted that they would not stay home when sick.

According to Marit Raag, Health Insurance Product Manager at Seesam Insurance, this change is due, among other things, to the amendment made last summer to the sickness benefit procedure in force during the pandemic period. Until last summer, employers had to pay sickness benefit to employees from the second day of sick leave. However, as of July 2023, employees started receiving benefits from the fourth day and they lose their income for the first three days of sick leave.

“In 2021, the most common reason for going to work when sick was that people did not want to let their colleagues down. This year, however, as many as 63% of people said they go to work when sick because they would otherwise lose too much of their income,” explained Raag.

The proportion of the respondents aged 35-44 who went to work when sick was particularly high. “People in this age group have a lot to lose from a fall in income – they usually have children, a bank loan and many other commitments that require a stable income. As many as 69% of the representatives of this age group admitted going to work when sick,” said the representative of Seesam.

The fear of loss of income was a particularly common reason for working when sick among men. 70% of the men who work when sick confirmed that they would otherwise lose a significant part of their income. For women, the indicator was 57%.

According to Marit Raag, going to work when sick is not about being neglectful of your colleagues or clients – quite the opposite. Almost half of the respondents do so more out of concern that their absence is a burden on colleagues. A fifth of all the respondents who admitted working when sick cited a desire not to let their clients down.

“The survey shows that employers have a good reason to be concerned about the well-being of their employees. Going to work when sick puts the rest of the staff and clients at risk, but it also reduces people’s work efficiency, prolongs their illness and may lead to the worsening thereof. The stricter a company’s sick leave rules, the more likely employees are to feel pressured to come to work despite the risks,” stated Raag.

According to the representative of Seesam, in the light of the results of the survey with 500 participants, it is worth highlighting and recognising the employers who, despite the changes in the sickness benefit procedure, support their employees financially during sickness, give them paid days off to boost their health and otherwise stand up for better health of their employees.

“Seesam strives to be a role model in this respect – we compensate our employees for the difference between their average salary and the statutory sickness or care benefit for the second to eighth day of sickness or care leave. Hopefully, many other companies will also continue to compensate days of sick leave. More and more employers are also actively contributing to health promotion activities in order to prevent diseases – be it through sports compensation or health insurance,” explained the representative of Seesam.

The fact that health insurance is a much sought-after benefit for employees was also confirmed by the Seesam survey. “One in three of our survey participants said they would be much more motivated at work if their employer showed they cared by offering health insurance. Compensating days of sick leave by the employer would be a much stronger step forward and a powerful message that would increase employee loyalty and satisfaction,” said Marit Raag.