Many U.S. workers afraid to use paid sick leave when they really need it, study finds

U.S. workers are hesitant to use their paid sick leave, even when they really are sick. Nearly 9 in 10 worked during an illness during the past year, although nearly half said they should not have, according to a new study by BambooHR.

“The remote situation post-COVID-19 has made managing sick leave policies worse,” said Anita Grantham, the company’s head of HR. “You can be at home and still be on work calls. But working when ill doesn’t serve the person, the company or the customer.”

The United States lags behind much of the world in its paid sick leave policies. Only four of the 193 U.N. member states – the United States, India, Somalia and South Korea – don’t guarantee some form of paid sick leave for workers. What’s more, 1 in 4 U.S. workers has been pressured or explicitly asked to work despite being sick. Among the other findings of the study:

• Sixty-four percent of workers experience negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, guilt or fear when requesting sick time.
• Nearly three-fourths agreed that no one needs to know the exact reason why they are taking a sick day.
• Forty percent of workers said they feel insecure taking sick time because they think others assume they’re faking it.
• Overall, younger workers face more challenges around sick leave and sickness. In the last year, 68% of Gen Z employees have taken a sick day for mental health reasons and 93% of millennials have worked despite being sick.
• Nearly two-thirds of workers believe it’s their employer’s responsibility to mandate a work culture that allows unquestioned sick leave.

Many employees have good reason to be scared to call in sick. Although the overwhelming majority of employees work through sickness, managers often are skeptical that employees are actually physically sick when they call in. Three-fourths of managers have suspected someone they manage has used sick leave without being physically ill, and most managers have suspected a sick-day faker on their roster.

For some, the skepticism is well-earned, Forty-three percent of workers have taken at least one sick day when they weren’t actually physically sick in the last 12 months. HR professionals appear to be even harsher. More than 8 in 10 HR managers have suspected someone they manage isn’t actually physically sick when calling out. Ironically, more than half of HR professionals said they have taken a sick day in the last 12 months when they weren’t actually sick.

Read more: Younger workers struggle with mental health but employers can help, study finds

“Given the high levels of guilt and stress workers feel around sick time, policy transparency is paramount in empowering workers to use their sick leave,” the study said. “You can’t plan for every unique case, but reclassifying sick time under a broader definition, like `wellness time,’ can help employees feel more comfortable taking sick days for both mental and physical health reasons.”