Got the winter blues? British people wanting to take a “sickie” — a day off work — are more than likely to choose the first Monday in February, according to a study by television channel Sky Travel.
Work-life balance expert Professor Cary Cooper, who helped with the research, said: “Early February is a very popular time for taking a sickie. The first bank holiday still seems a long way off, the days are gloomy and many people are still feeling the post-Christmas blues.”
While professional pressure often means that they don’t take all the holidays they’re entitled to, British workers, reputed to work the longest hours in Europe, are dissatisfied with the low number of days off they can claim, said the study carried out among 4 000 employees.
Half said they would take at least one day off sick this year, either to sleep, to recover from a hangover, to take a long weekend or simply to go window-shopping.
Barbara Gibbon, General Manager of Sky Travel, said: “It is clear that an increasing number of employees feel completely justified in taking a cheeky day off sick.
“February 6 seems to be popular for a myriad of reasons, not least the fact that many people will be finding out that they are still in debt despite the fact that they have just been paid.”
The northern city of Liverpool is Britain’s “sickie capital” with an average of 13 days off per year, compared with three in London. – AFP