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Attention: industrial, business and health correspondents

'Don't be a mucus trooper' says TUC

Are you a mucus trooper, a stoic, a model patient, a walking epidemic or a shirker? As a new poll finds that three in four staff have been to work when ill, the TUC has published new advice on sickness at work and a quiz that finds out what category you fall into on its world of work website, workSMART.org.uk

The TUC poll finds that as many as one in five say they have been to work when too ill in the last month alone, and nearly half say they have in the last year. As sickness absence at work last year was the lowest since CBI surveys began and fell six per cent from the previous year, the TUC says that too many people may now be going to work when they would be better off recovering at home, rather than infecting their colleagues. White collar workers and workers in the West Midlands are the most likely to struggle to work when ill.

The TUC says that advertising can be irresponsible. Campaigns for cold remedies too often focus on trying to frighten people into what would happen if they don’t struggle into work. Other ad campaigns that encourage people to pull a ‘sickie’ are also wrong. Online bank Egg recently sent an email to customers that included: 'Can't face the thought of work? Then throw a sickie and bed down for the day, where all you need to think about is how to pamper yourself next.'

The TUC poll shows that the commonest reason people give for going to work when too ill is that 'people depend on the job I do, and I didn’t want to let them down' (42 per cent). Though a significant minority (16 per cent) say they went to work because they 'would have lost pay, and couldn’t afford it.'

'We are not the nation of malingerers that some paint,' says TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, 'in fact we struggle into work even when we are too ill to do so because we don’t want to let people down. It’s all part of our long hours culture. Indeed long hours, stress and increasing workloads make people sick.

'Ads that one minute tell us we will lose out at work if we admit we’re ill, and the next encourage us to take a ‘sickie’ don’t help. Of course employers will want to deal with malingerers, but they should also make sure that people who are genuinely ill stay at home. The rest of us don’t want to do extra work for those pulling a ‘sickie’, but nor do we want to pick up germs from colleagues or those with whom we share overcrowded public transport. The TUC’s message is don’t be a mucus trooper. Look after yourself properly.'

Topics covered by the workSMART questions and answers, available at www.worksmart.org.uk include: ‘Do I need a doctor's certificate?’; ‘My employer has warned me about my level of sickness absence although I have medical certificates. What are the implications?’; ‘Do I get paid when absent on sick leave?’; ‘Loads of us get colds, could it be caused by our ultra-chilly air conditioning?’; ‘Can our company try to save money by leaving the heating switched off later and later every year, and telling us to 'wrap-up'?’; ‘We are told we can only have two days off sick a month. Is this right?’; ‘We have 'duvet days' but should they come off our annual leave?’; and ‘Our bonus scheme pays out more if you haven't had any days off sick. Is this right?’.

poll details

The poll was carried out by BMRB as part of an omnibus telephone poll of 1001 people conducted Jan 17-18 2004.

regional breakdown

age and social class breakdown

Notes to Editors:

- A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Ben Hurley 020 7467 1248 or 07626 317903 (pager) or email bhurley@tuc.org.uk

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen 020 7467 1248 or 07699 744115 (pager) or email media@tuc.org.uk

Press release (1,100 words) issued 23 Jan 2004