02/06/2024

Sick Shaming is Rampant in Today’s Workplace

Too many employees feel too guilty to take time off to recover

At a time when COVID-19 and flu cases are rising throughout the country and the workplace, a new report finds that sick shaming is almost as widespread, causing employees to either feel guilty about taking sick time or, worse yet, come to work sick.

A survey of 1,000 managers from Resume Builder found that 20 percent of managers say they encourage workers to come into the office even when they are sick. Surprisingly, 45 percent of these managers (11 percent of the total sample) admit to "often shaming visibly sick workers" who then come into the office after they were told to.

A quarter said they think workers "lie or exaggerate their illness," and 34 percent often ask for medical documentation as proof of illness for workers who request a sick day. Additionally, 27 percent of managers overall believe a culture that encourages sick employees to work is good for productivity. The survey was conducted in January.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SHRM.