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Headaches at work: Many people work from home even though they feel ill
Photo: Bartek Szewczyk / Westend61 / IMAGO
According to their own statements, more than a quarter of the employees often or very often go to work sick.
Only 17 percent state that they always stay at home when they are sick.
A new study by Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) on "presenteeism in an increasingly mobile world of work" shows that people often even take medication in order to be able to work.
The problem often affects women more than men, managers more than employees without personnel responsibility and younger workers more than older employees.
More than one in five managers often takes medication to continue working.
For employees without managerial responsibility, the figure is 16 percent.
Temporary and new employees also tend to go to work despite illness than long-established colleagues.
Working sick harms employees and employers
"Working sick doesn't help anyone," explains Dr.
Jens Baas, CEO of TK.
»But if you feel fit with a mild cold, for example, you can of course still be on the job – especially in the home office.
But if you're really sick, you have to heal yourself.
Everything else harms the employees and ultimately also the employers.« The recovery is delayed, the performance drops, there are more accidents, says Baas.
There is also the risk of infecting colleagues.
The trend towards mobile working is exacerbating the problem: 46 percent of those surveyed stated that it is more common for them to work from home even though they feel ill.
Twelve percent often work from home despite illness.
And 30 percent of those surveyed often use medication when working from home in order to be able to work.
Desire for clear announcements
But why do people do this to themselves?
The participants in the study explain their behavior with the lack of representation in the company or the desire not to be a burden on their colleagues.
But having fun at work also seems to play a role.
"The survey also shows that the employees want clear announcements and rules from their managers in the event of illness," says TK boss Baas.
»There is clearly a need to catch up here.
65 percent of those surveyed have never spoken to their employer about the topic.«
axb/Reuters