Maybe people have too much fun during the weekend, or maybe they spend more time interacting with others, increasing their odds of encountering germs. Or maybe a three-day weekend is sometimes just irresistible. Whatever the reason, the global HR consulting firm Mercer has determined that the most common day for an employee to call in sick is Monday. A whopping 35 percent of all sick leave is taken on that day, according to a 2008 study of management records for 11,000 private sector employees.
Oh, my aching back:
- The research also found that January is the most popular month for taking sick leave, accounting for 13 of the top 20 sick days in 2008.
- The most common explanations for employee absence were physical ailments such as muscle strain and backache, followed by viral infections and stress-related illness.
- The lowest sick leave rate was recorded on Fridays, amounting to only 3 percent of the total.