Women take more sick days than men

It has been confirmed that women are more likely to struggle into work due to feeling ill.

Benenden Healthcare Society conducted a survey among 1,000 men and 1,000 women, studying their attitudes towards feeling ill and taking time off work.

The research revealed that the average adult takes 3.5 days off work a year because of an illness. Nonetheless, it found that men take an average of 140 days off sick during their careers, whereas women take an average of 189 sick days.

The most common illnesses that result in people staying home from work include stomach bugs, dizziness and viruses.

The majority of men admitted they took sick days for minor illnesses such as sore throat, headaches and hayfever. Women on the other hand said they took the day off due to flu, temperature and vomiting.

Despite taking more days off because of an illness, the research found that women are more dedicated to their work.

Around 60% of women admitted they worry about their workload when off sick and felt guilty for staying home. When feeling unwell, women tend to make more effort to get into work. 4 in 10 men are likely to phone in sick the moment they feel under the weather compared to 3 in 10 women.

Dr Tony Williams, of Benenden Hospital in Cranbrook, Kent, said:

"Everyone who goes off sick does so for a reason, but the reason is not always related to disease or illness.”

Nevertheless, it is important to consider that women are usually the principal carer for children and if their child is sick they are more likely to take the day as sick leave to care for them. The research found that 1 in 4 women admitted to faking an illness to get a day off work.

Have your say by leaving a comment in the box below...