Wrongful dismissal: One in three people admit to skiving work

Around one-third of workers in the UK have admitted lying about taking sick leave, a survey has revealed.

PwC asked 1,190 people and found that 34 per cent made up a reason for skipping work, with the majority stating that they did this as they were bored and depressed with work, those contending a wrongful dismissal case have been told.

The most popular reason for missing a day at work is illness and some people even admitted to faking symptoms in the office days in advance of taking time off.
Other excuses revealed in the poll included finding a missing rabbit and amnesia.

Neil Roden, a partner at PwC, said: "Absenteeism costs British business around £32bn a year, but our findings suggest a large chunk of this loss is preventable."
He went on to say that the introduction of flexible working arrangements can help make a difference to workers, highlighting the fact that 15 per cent said they skived as they felt the deserved the time off.

Recently, TheStar.co.uk reported that an art teacher from Brinsworth Comprehensive, Rotherham, was sacked while on sick leave after it was alleged he missed deadlines for submitting work and appeared to allow students to arrive late to lessons, an employment tribunal has heard.

Published by Rob Stanworth