India 2nd worst when it comes to taking sick leaves

Feeling stressed is the No 1 cause for sick leaves,according to a survey.

India is the second worst country in the world when it comes to workers availing of sick leaves even when they are not ill,a survey has revealed.

The survey,conducted across Australia,China,France,the UK,India,Mexico and the US,found the booming economy of China taking first place at 71 per cent,followed by India at 62 per cent,and then Australia at 58 per cent.

Feeling stressed was the number one cause for sick leaves,according to the survey by Australian workforce managers Kronos which suggested that managers needed to recognise the causes of stress and then find practical solutions,like flexible working hours.

The option of flexible working hours,choice to take unpaid leave if required,and the ability to work from home were the three most desired attributes when it comes to what employers can offer their staff in order to help them manage work/life balance,reduce stress and address number of sick leaves taken,Kronos general manager Peter Harte said.

The survey said a third of people chuck a sickie to take care of a sick child or family member,while 10 per cent cited a heavy workload as the motivator,the ‘Courier Mail’ newspaper reported.

Australians were more likely to chuck a sick leave than those in the United States (52 per cent),United Kingdom (43 per cent),Mexico (38 per cent) and France (16 per cent),the poll found.

Almost two-thirds of Aussie workers surveyed felt their employers should introduce flexible working hours in order to reduce the number of sickies that are taken.