Eighty percent of employees polled say they frequently show up to work while sick. A mere 8-percent of respondents said they never come into the office when feeling under the weather.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on responses from 594 men and women 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments.
Managers acknowledge that ailing employees often come into the office, but the practice may be more common than many realize. In a separate poll of 150 senior executives -- including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments -- just 21-percent of respondents say they think sick employees came into work very frequently when ill.
"Many employees fear they'll fall behind if they stay at home when they're not feeling well," says Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "However, it's preferable to take a day or two to recuperate rather than risk exacerbating a condition or passing an illness on to coworkers."
With greater flu concerns this year, many companies are actively encouraging sick employees to stay home.
Domeyer adds, "Managers should let employees know that staying away from the office is the right thing to do when they are ill. Actions often speak louder than words -- if supervisors show up when they're feeling poorly, employees may feel pressure to do the same."
