by Brianna Crandall — January 3, 2011—A national telephone survey conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of HALLS found that most working Americans won’t sacrifice a sick day this year for most cold and flu symptoms, including a cough, sore throat, body aches and sinus headache. In fact, nearly half of Americans (44 percent) would consider going to work with a fever, and about a third of Americans (32 percent) said they would show up to work no matter how sick they get this season.
HALLS says the results aren’t surprising based on the country’s current economic conditions. With an unemployment rate upwards of 9 percent this October, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the survey revealed that one in five Americans (19 percent) feel pressure by their boss or supervisor to head into work when they’re sick.
One in three (31 percent) Americans said they would not get paid for taking off on a sick day, and one in 10 (11 percent) said they would likely fall behind on their bills by taking a sick day. Additionally, more than 10 percent of Americans thought they would not likely receive their next pay raise or promotion, or worse, would lose their job for calling in sick.
America’s current sentiment toward sick days seems to parallel that of last year. While nearly half of Americans (46 percent) said they did not take a sick day last cold and flu season (October 2009-March 2010), the same percentage said they are not likely to take a sick day over the next six months during this year’s cold and flu season (October 2010-March 2011). The other half (49 percent) of Americans expect to take between one and five sick days this cold and flu season, up a percentage from last year.
For preventative tips for the cold and flu season, or information on HALLS cough drops, visit the HALLS Web site.
