RESEARCH suggests that, in today’s economic slowdown, employees are choosing not to take sick days because they fear for their job security.
We are all entitled to sick days, but in today’s uncertain jobs market, we all feel under pressure to soldier on, stumbling into the office with a fistful of tissues and a pocketful of painkillers to get us through the day.
Indeed, the number of sick days taken by employees this year has fallen as more people would rather show their red-nosed, bleary-eyed faces at work than not show them at all.
Employees might be wise to keep up these appearances – albeit not so flattering ones – in the workplace because, according to research by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), more than 40% of employers use absence records as part of their redundancy selection criteria.
When you think that the average cost per year of a sick employee is £692, with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) estimating that sick days cost businesses £11billion a year, you can understand why sick days are something employers are taking more seriously during the economic downturn.
But, as loyal and committed as it may seem to soldier on when you are genuinely feeling rotten, you can bet your colleagues won’t thank you for infecting them with your dreaded bugs.
Sometimes, you simply have to stay at home and give in to the fact that you are ill, and any company worth its weight will respect you for your decision.
Try some of these simple measures to look after yourself properly this winter – hopefully, you’ll be the last person standing by the time it comes to this year’s Christmas party:
Stay active – even though it’s the last thing you might feel like during the dark, winter months, regular exercise is crucial in keeping your immune levels topped up. A healthy body makes for a healthy mind, so stay strong by doing at least five half-hour sessions of activity a week – even if it is walking to the shops and back.
Sleep well – new research suggests that we don’t actually need the eight hours a night we thought – it’s more the quality of sleep that’s important. This is the only time your body and mind recharge themselves, so is vital in keeping your strength up. And, as grandma used to say, every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight.
Eat properly – according to an old Chinese proverb, a bowl of porridge in the morning and a bowl of soup in the evening should see you through the winter OK. Porridge is a great way to start the day, especially when topped with some flu-fighting berries, while soup is perfect winter fodder – full of vitamins and minerals and deliciously warming to the soul. Chicken soup is often cited as the best defence against winter colds.
Don’t stress – when we get stressed we weaken our immune system, so it’s important to stay calm when under pressure. Remember to relax your shoulders and take deep breaths when you feel yourself tensing. Yoga, Pilates and meditation are wonderful stress relievers and also count towards your quota of exercise – bargain.
Watch what you drink – Alcohol and smoking, which often go hand in hand, weaken our immune systems because they are, essentially, poisons to our body. Stick to Government guidelines of up to 21 units per week for men and 14 per week for women, and don’t binge at the weekends.
Switch off – our lives are so frantic that we often find ourselves being dictated to by machines and technology all beeping and buzzing at us, demanding our attention. Allow yourself room to breathe – you’ll be grateful for it.
Take multivitamins – you should be getting enough vitamins and minerals from a healthy, varied diet, but it never hurts to keep yourself topped up in winter.
Drink water – as well as containing vital minerals to help boost our immune system internally, some research suggests that water can boost our immune systems externally – if you are brave enough, simply turn on the cold water for a few seconds at the end of your shower.