Study Finds Staff on Sick Leave Continue to Work

The results of a recent study carried out by Bupa has shown that almost half (49%) of staff who are off sick will still continue to do some work, with 32% reading work emails while ill and 28% responding to them.

According to the research, a quarter of employees have taken work-related calls when absent due to illness, and 2% have even hosted meetings from their sick beds.

The report follows a study by the Work Foundation and AXA earlier this year which found that levels of what has been dubbed "sickness presence" are remarkably high in the UK. Bupa's work backs up this finding, apparently showing that 67% of staff in the UK have gone to work when unwell. Of these working ill, 44% reported that they are working at less than half their usual productivity levels.