Monday-itis

More than one in three sick days are taken on a Monday according to research by Mercer consulting based on records for 11,000 employees in the private sector during 2008.  Friday is the day least likely to be taken as sick leave.

Viral infections are the most common reason for absence (35%) but typically last for a shosrt time, whereas stress has a low incidence rate (4%) but generally contributes to a long period of absence.

The costs to employers are diverse – overtime and temporary contracts to provide cover, as well as reduced productivity, impact on other staff, and missed deadlines, and their knock-on effects.

Monitoring and managing sickness absence through the use of an effective sickness absence policy and procedure enables organisations to intervene at an early stage and avoid long term problems and costs.

The most common reasons for absence include:

• 24% days lost,  musculo-skeletal problems (strains and other injuries to bones muscles and joints)
• 17% days lost, stress-related illness
• 17% days lost,  colds, flu and other viral infections.
• 12% days lost, food poisoning and other gastric problems (27% incidence)
• 2% days lost, cancer.

There is a difference between the sickness absence records for men and women. Women take 24% more days sick, and are more likely to suffer from stress-related illness, exhaustion and depression, while men sustain more sprains, fractures and other physical injuries.