Workers working through illness hit almost half of the British labour force this summer, according to a survey of 2,003 adults conducted at the end of July.
Presenteeism reaches new levels
Nearly 49 percent said they kept on with duties while feeling unwell, staying on the job for an average of six days. The same poll found that 28 percent noticed a drop in output, 25 percent struggled to focus, and 24 percent felt worse by day’s end.
Too much work topped the reasons, cited by 28 percent of respondents. Concern over losing wages accounted for 19 percent, while 18 percent believed they could simply push through the symptoms.
Another 17 percent said no one could cover their tasks, and 16 percent feared a backlog would pile up if they stepped away.
The study, commissioned by a private diagnostics provider, ran from 31 July to 5 August. It also recorded that 45 percent of participants had trouble sleeping, 32 percent reported stress or anxiety, and 31 percent felt extreme fatigue.
Related: Jessica Guistolise urges greater cognitive diversity
Health‑seeking delayed by job pressure
Work demands appear to be nudging people to postpone medical care. Almost three in ten said they put off a health appointment, test or check, with the average delay lasting six weeks.
Being swamped with duties was the leading cause, mentioned by 35 percent of those who delayed. An equal share (15 percent) said they could not secure a convenient slot, and another 15 percent felt the issue wasn’t serious enough.
Fourteen percent each blamed lack of cover and disruption to routine for postponements.
Generation Z respondents were the most likely to defer care, with 43 percent saying they had done so, compared with 39 percent of Millennials and 14 percent of Baby Boomers.
Among those who delayed, a quarter reported heightened anxiety, 21 percent said sleep suffered, one in five saw symptoms linger longer, and 16 percent felt conditions worsening.
Dr Reem Hasan, a National Health Service general practitioner and chief medical officer at the commissioning firm, warned that normalising the habit of working while sick could delay early diagnosis and preventative care.
Related: How to Work As Dubber With The Voquent System
“What concerns me most about our findings is not simply that people are feeling tired or unwell, but that so many appear to be normalising working through illness and putting their health on hold because life feels too busy,” she said.
She added that symptoms do not follow a schedule, and repeatedly postponing care may mean missed chances for reassurance or early treatment.
Employers could ease some of the pressure by ensuring staff can take sick days without fearing judgment or extra workload for colleagues. “Healthy workplaces should make it possible for people to take appropriate time to recover, attend healthcare appointments and use their annual leave without feeling that they are letting colleagues down,” Hasan said.
She also noted that summer brings added strains such as school holidays, childcare duties, travel and covering for teammates, all of which can compound the reluctance to step away.
The data underline how staffing levels and workload intensity shape whether employees feel able to pause work for health needs. Supporting wellbeing, according to the report, is tightly linked to organisational performance.
