Between the pandemic and hustle culture mentality, the concept of taking a sick day has dramatically changed in the past few years. According to recent studies, more than two-thirds of Americans feel they must work through minor illnesses instead of taking a sick day if they don’t have COVID-19.
Additionally, this issue grows with remote workers feeling it could be viewed as taking advantage of work from home if they take time off. How can HR leaders help resolve this sick day guilt and promote it positively?
In this article, we’ll look into how the workplace got to this point and how it can be remedied with the assistance of HR leaders through the promotion of wellness, leading by example and encouraging time off.
The growth of sick day guilt
Before the pandemic began, time off due to illness was reasonably taboo. Employees felt the need to push through or justify the time off no matter the industry. No one wants to fall behind on work or miss important meetings, and the mindset of not taking critical sick time off can trickle down from managers to entry-level employees.
The after-effects of the pandemic have created varying working environments from hybrid to remote, and in a few ways, this new varied workspace has its benefits. Colleagues can work from their beds to avoid infecting peers while not falling behind on assignments. The downside? Remote and hybrid employees could feel a greater need to work through their sickness without time off because they are already home.
Without emphasizing wellness, it becomes challenging for employees to feel well-rested and not burnt out. It’s time for HR leaders to step in.
Make sick days healthier
Dismantling the taboo of sick days may seem like no easy feat, but in building a work culture that champions wellness, the whole workplace can succeed.
The first step to lessening ‘sick day guilt’ is to discuss the importance of taking time away to benefit physical and mental wellbeing. Bringing up the topic during a monthly workforce meeting can open conversation around what wellness should look like at work. Addressing the importance of taking necessary days to recover may disperse the stigma surrounding sick day behavior.
At the leadership level, an excellent way to ensure employees feel comfortable taking time off is to provide managers and peers at the executive level to take sick days for themselves. Leadership and management set the tone and example of workplace actions. Younger employees are often lead by example, and when their manager arrives at the office feeling unwell, it sends a message to all employees that it’s okay to work through illnesses. These actions ultimately make employees feel guilty. Instead of allowing these actions to slide, HR can step in by possibly incentivizing managers to lead by example to ensure the workplace maintains a balance of wellness and trust.
As for remote employees, HR leaders need to maintain that these workers are part of the wellness equation. One of the downsides to remote work is the more significant potential for the work-life environment to become blurred, leading to burnout if not careful. Encouraging remote employees to take time to reset even if they’re feeling healthy can fortify the importance of wellbeing.
Employers cannot force people to take sick days. However, encouragement can lead to heightened productivity and positive reassurance that a time off to recharge is helpful physically and mentally.
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