In days gone by employers would dread employees staying at home sick or having time off to look after children, but in the days of modern working it no longer has to be a problems, according to health insurance company IHC.
Healthcare consultant Paul Roberts pointed out that with the rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets, a person can continue to work, even if they are not physically in the office.
He spoke out following the release of the results of a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which said that around £32 billion a year was lost through staff absence.
Mr Roberts said these results, based on responses from large corporations, were flawed, as many people could continue their working day from an alternative location.
He added: “More than 80 per cent of the UK population works in a business of under ten people and the majority are family-owned. The family unit is less supported today and if a kid is off ill then the parent needs to go home and care. Is this absence? It is, but did they take their BlackBerry and continue working? Of course they did.”
The study also discovered that workers have around ten days of unscheduled leave every year, which is mainly due to sickness.
