In brief

• More and more Poles, especially young ones, go to work while sick instead of taking sick leave (L4).
• Experts point out that fear of losing one's job or receiving a negative evaluation encourages such decisions.
• Working sick employees may lower team productivity and infect coworkers.

Sick people in the office and on the shop floor

Poles are increasingly rarely taking sick leave, even though they have colds, fatigue, or feel unwell. They therefore come to work weakened, with a runny nose and cough (Nowy trend na rynku pracy. Przodują w nim zwłaszcza młodzi pracownicy. Eksperci ostrzegają – GazetaPrawna.pl). As experts point out, it is most often younger employees who behave this way.

Who most often comes in sick

Most of the people who show up for work despite illness are young employees. According to specialists, their behavior stems from fear of losing their job or receiving a poorer evaluation from supervisors, and from the belief that taking sick leave signals a lack of commitment.

Why it costs the employer

Experts warn that employers may lose more on the work of sick people than on their absences. A weakened employee works more slowly, makes more mistakes, and may infect coworkers, which in turn lowers the productivity of entire teams. Sick leave, although it means a break from work, allows people to return to full capacity more quickly.

What is worth knowing

Sick leave (L4) is issued by a doctor when they determine that a person is unfit for work. An employee should not come to work with a contagious illness, and companies increasingly encourage teams to stay home at the first signs of infection.