You wake up feeling unwell but there's a big day at work ahead. If the answer is to go in (or log on), you're not alone. Research suggests, external anywhere between a third to a half of people in the UK work even when sick - something experts call presenteeism.
And your approach to sickness says a lot about you as an individual and where you work. "The younger generation get the snowflake tag thrown at them, but it's not true," says University of Manchester psychologist Prof Sir Cary Cooper, who is one of the world's leading experts on workplace wellbeing. Data from the Office for National Statistics, external supports this view.
Workers aged 16 to 24 took an average of 2.4 days off sick last year, compared to 6.2 days for those aged 50 to 64. Sir Cary, who has advised the UK government on employment policies in this area, says there are several reasons for this. Younger workers are more likely to work in roles where there is little security, such as zero-hours contracts.
They are also less likely to suffer from long-term health conditions and joint problems that are major contributors to sickness absence. But Sir Cary adds: "I think younger generations do have higher expectations about how employers should treat them and consider their wellbeing. "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." There are a variety of factors that influence someone's approach to sickness absence. For some, work is closely tied to identity. Occupational psychologists call this work centrality - and research links this to greater engagement, commitment and willingness to go the extra mile.
If work is central to who you are, being absent can feel like temporarily losing part of yourself. "These people feel a strong desire to keep showing up," says Dr Audrey Tang, a psychologist who writes about workplace wellbeing. She says those working in caring professions such as medicine, nursing and teaching have a particular tendency towards this.
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