Ever felt guilty calling in sick for work? New research shines light on ‘presenteeism’

UK sees a wave of young workers feeling guilt for calling in sick when unwell

Are you part of the few that get overwhelmed by guilt, regret, or dishonor when calling in sick? Well, turns out there are more out there.

A new research shows that around a third to half of all workers in the UK show up to work, even when sick, in what experts call “presenteeism”.

It especially points out that young workers make up for a large demographic of those who still end up going to the office when feeling ill.

University of Manchester Professor of psychology, Sir Cary Cooper, is one of the leading experts in the research of workplace wellbeing.

Cooper says that “the younger generation get the snowflake tag thrown at them” as a larger trend of older generations thinking less of younger fellows, “but it's not true” according to the expert.

In 2025, workers form ages 16 to 24 years lost 2.4 working days, while the group from ages 35 to 49 years came to 4 days, and ages 50 to 64 took on average 6.2 days off, the higher than any other groups, including 65+.

Sir Cary Cooper points out multiple reasons for why this might be the case.

One of those reasons is that young workers largely represented in roles with little to no security, such as zero-hours/casual contracts.

“I think younger generations do have higher expectations about how employers should treat them and consider their wellbeing,” Sir Cary added. 

“Older generations have perhaps been more willing to put up with things, but that doesn't necessarily make that approach healthy.

“When it comes to taking time off, younger workers seem more willing to view mental wellbeing as part of their overall health rather than something that should simply be pushed through.”

However, an overwhelming feeling when calling in sick can say a lot about you as a person.

For some, work is closely tied to their identity, which is referred to ‘work centrality’ in psychology. If this is you, it means you are committed, loyal and willing to go the extra mile. 

People in the field of medicine and education are more often drawn to ‘work centrality’.

Dr Audrey Tang, a psychologist and wellbeing author says that another reason could be related to individuals not wanting to be perceived as lazy, weak or sluggish. 

"They're more likely to be early in their profession and they don't want to leave a negative impression,” said Tang.

Now let’s paint a quick picture.

You wake up, you’re either way too cold or way too warm, and to top it off, your throat is sore. What do you do?

Deciding to call in sick is never an easy decision, but psychologist Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo might have the answer.

"If you're vomiting and have diarrhoea or have a fever, you should stay at home for 48 hours and 24 hours respectively after the symptoms have passed,” she shared.

“In those situations, you're unlikely to be able to work effectively anyway.

"Where there is more of a grey area is with coughs and colds,” Tang added.

“Since Covid, workplace etiquette has changed, generally it's considered polite to work from home.”

However, this doesn’t have to be much of a brain exercise, you should generally listen to your body, as Quinn-Cirillo said that "If you're sick and unable to work, you're sick and unable to work."

Dr Tara also stresses the importance of not letting work take over your life, especially when it become detrimental to your health.

"Is your ability to look after yourself changing? Are you able to decompress from work? Is your sleep OK?"

If the answer is no, it may be a sign that rest is exactly what is needed.