A third of workers are more likely to go into work ill because of the economic downturn, a survey reveals.
The study of 1,600, found that 30 per cent of workers are now more inclined to go to work sick as a result of the current economic climate.
Around half of those choosing to turn up for duty while sick said the most important factor in their decision was job security.
Overall, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of those surveyed went into work last year whilst sick.
And more than half (53 per cent) of those questioned went into work with a contagious illness such as the flu or a cold in the past year.
The age group most likely to go into work sick are those aged between 16 and 24 – 85 per cent said they went into work sick last year and nearly half (48 per cent) said they were more likely to go into work sick because of the economic downturn.
The income group most likely to go into work sick because of the recession is those earning below £20,000 followed by those earning between £21,000 and £30,000 and those earning between £31,000 and £50,000.
The most important factor overall among those surveyed was too much work, second job security and third workplace culture.
Women were slightly more likely than men to go into work because of the economic recession (33 per cent compared to 27 per cent).
Those sectors feeling the most pressure to go into work sick are the retail industry, followed by manufacturing then education.
Twenty-one per cent said they were exercising less since the start of the economic downturn.
Research fromAstonUniversity(2010) revealed the cost of presenteeism to be £15billion annually. This is estimated at twice the cost of absenteeism, according to the Economic and Social Research Council.
In a report last year by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), presenteeism was shown to worsen stress levels, negatively effect productivity by transfer of illness and the sick being unable to work effectively.
