British Firms Braced for “National Sickie Day”

The first Monday of February is notorious for high numbers of British workers calling in with “illness”, hence the unfortunate moniker. The combined factors of cold weather, commuting in hours of darkness and the financial hangover from Christmas are thought to make this day the most likely day for absenteeism in the workplace.

Gillian McAteer, Personnel and Employment Law Helpline Manager at Citation Plc commented: “Losing working days can adversely affect a business’s productivity and financial stability. It’s therefore very important to be able to distinguish between genuine cases of absenteeism through illness and cases where an employee has “pulled a sickie.” At Citation, we develop tailored solutions that help our clients manage absenteeism more effectively, in accordance with their business needs.”

Gillian states that before employers take disciplinary action, they need to ensure that they have protected themselves adequately, adding: “This means making sure that your business is compliant with the appropriate employment legislation, and acting within the legal frameworks for dealing with employee absenteeism.”