Unpaid Sick Days: The Hidden Cost of Workpressure and Workload on Finnish Employees”.

Sick working is a common occurrence in Finland, with reasons including work pressure and workload. Despite the negative health effects of working while sick, many employees choose to do so due to various factors. A supportive work community can encourage greater responsibility and conscientiousness among employees, reducing the need for sick leave. However, in some jobs tasks aren’t taken care of by others during an employee’s absence, adding to the pressure to work while sick.

Strict absence control measures such as making the first day of sick leave unpaid can contribute to employees persisting at work despite being ill. This can lead to future absences and even burnout as individuals may not fully recover if they continue to work while sick. Factors such as perfectionism, fears about career progression, financial concerns and the nature of illness also influence employees to work while sick.

Pekka Järvinen, an organizational psychologist, highlights that some individuals may have a need for control over their work and fear negative consequences if they take sick leave. Slowly emerging symptoms like those of burnout or depression can also contribute to employees working while exhausted as they may not recognize the severity of their condition over time. Overall, various factors can influence employees to persist at work despite being sick, creating challenges for both individuals and organizations.