Happy national sickie day
More Brits will pull a sickie today than any other day of the year, according to an ITV Daybreak poll.
The first Monday of February is being branded as "national sickie day" as workers try to avoid the horror of a cold Monday morning commute. The survey found that taking a personal day under false pretences is relatively common amongst UK workers, with a third of adults saying they have pulled a sickie.
The OnePoll also found a gender difference, with men taking more time off than women. While the first Monday of February is the most popular day to skive off, it is by no means the last.
16 per cent of those polled said they had taken five more sick days annually, with a further five per cent taking 12 days off.
Once holiday leave is thrown in, a worker could end up taking two months off work a year.
Colds, flu and food poisoning were the most frequent reasons workers gave not to turn up. Six per cent of people said they had a family bereavement.
Coming up with questionable excuses to take time off work is not only widespread but also guilt free. 53 per cent said they felt no remorse for pulling a sickie.
46 per cent said they bunked off because they were tired. However, 40 per cent were relaxed enough to say they just didn't feel like it. Many bosses won't be surprised to learn that half of those surveyed said they have a special sick voice when calling their boss.
Next February, when workers call with raspy voices they may be greeted with a pinch more suspicion.
Workers in London and the Northwest were the most partial to take sick days, with Wales and the West Midlands proving the most resilient to them.