There’s light at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic tunnel, with vaccines becoming more widely available every day.
While everyone is eager to get back to normal, the pandemic has had a major impact on work life, and some changes employers made during this health crisis are here to stay, like remote work.
Another thing the pandemic brought to light was ensuring employees stayed home when they were sick. Pre-pandemic, it wasn’t unusual for people to come into work with a cold or the flu.
But according to a recent study, despite the severity of COVID-19, one in five employees still came into work during the pandemic – signifying a much bigger problem.
Why they came in
The study, conducted by Just Capital and the Harris Poll, surveyed 1,000 U.S. employees and 300 employers.
Of the workers who reported coming into work, here’s a breakdown of why:
- 33% worried they’d lose their jobs if they didn’t come in
- 33% said they didn’t have access to paid leave, and
- 28% didn’t want to upset their boss.
The numbers get more alarming when 13% reported they were discouraged from reporting their illness, and 37% of employees felt that company profits were put ahead of employee safety.
It’s concerning how many people felt pressured to continue working with an illness during a deadly pandemic, bringing to light the need for paid sick leave and employer encouragement for workers to actually stay home while feeling unwell.
Companies have a chance now to change policies and lead by example.
Info: 1 in 5 employees worked while ill during pandemic, signaling need for paid leave, says Just Capital