In the spirit of . . . jobs

Against a backdrop of recession and job losses, fewer people are 'pulling sickies' this festive season, writes MICHELLE McDONAGH

IRISH EMPLOYERS consistently complain that absenteeism is one of the most widespread obstacles to productivity, profitability and competitiveness – and not surprisingly, the number of sick days taken traditionally increases around the festive season.

International research has found that infrequent drinkers take most alcohol-related sick leave due to feeling rough after a night out and many of these sick days are taken during the Christmas period when some businesses are at their busiest.

And those who went into work hungover agreed that it affected their work negatively. They acknowledged that they lacked concentration and could perform only menial tasks, which greatly affected their productivity and motivation. Some said they saved all their energy for interactions with their boss and lacked patience with other colleagues or clients.

While the recession does not appear to be deterring young Irish workers from revelling in the festive cheer, they may be a lot slower this year to “pull a sickie” after overindulging at the annual Christmas party.

Almost one in three Irish 18-35 year olds who participated in a recent survey admitted to calling in sick in past years after a heavy night of festive celebration.

However, more than half of those said they wouldn’t be repeating the stunt again this Christmas because it might reflect badly on their commitment to their job at a time of redundancies and rising unemployment.

Nonetheless, they said the thought of going into work in the morning would not stop them partying. They might be feeling much the worse for wear, but they would at least turn up for work.

The Alka Seltzer Feeling Dog Rough Survey revealed that 69 per cent of those who have called in sick in the past admitted they did not feel at all guilty about their fib.

Susan, a 29-year-old reporter on a regional newspaper, says that not only are there far fewer Christmas parties this year, there is a very different attitude among her colleagues to “pulling sickies”. “We used to get invited to three or four parties every Christmas by drink companies and others as well as our own office party, but that’s all been cut out this year. The days of the boozy lunches where people didn’t bother returning to the office until the next morning or even afternoon are long gone.

“People are working harder for less and not complaining that much because we all know somebody who has lost their job recently and we’re bloody grateful to have one. In previous years, I wouldn’t really have thought twice about ringing in sick if I was dying after a big night out, especially around Christmas when everyone is in party mode but things are very different now. I might not be very productive but I’ll be at my desk the next morning, at least in body.”

Gary (32) works in the financial industry and while he admits to calling in sick in the past, these days he avoids going out drinking on work nights.

“Part of it is an age thing. When I was younger, I could be out two or three nights in a row and be completely fine but now, I simply can’t function with a hangover. Having said that, I don’t think that’s the general trend where I work. I would say there are about two people out sick for a few days every month here and they don’t seem to be too worried about their jobs.”

Mary Connaughton, head of HR developments with employers’ organisation Ibec, says quite a lot of companies are now moving away from the traditional Christmas night out.

“Instead of an expensive evening out with lots of drink and a late night, there’s much more of a pattern of Christmas lunches. It might mean that not much work gets done that afternoon, but at least people will be in work the next morning.”

While there are no up-to-date statistics on levels of absenteeism in Ireland over 2009, Connaughton points out that employers are managing absenteeism much more tightly as part of their overall cost management plans since the start of the economic downturn.

Dublin-based nutritionist Louise Reynolds says that too much alcohol will always have a negative effect on people’s well-being and their ability to cope with certain situations.

“If you drink too much, you are going to wake up with that ‘fuzzy head’ feeling and you will feel more irritable as alcohol is a depressant. Productivity in work will also decrease significantly after a heavy night of overindulgence.”

However, Reynolds says the symptoms of a hangover from hell can be reduced the next day if you follow a healthy diet.

“Some people swear by a good old-fashioned fried breakfast or hair of the dog but these only serve to make the situation worse. A high carbohydrate, low-fat breakfast would be the best option – a bowl of wholegrain cereal, a couple of slices of wholemeal toast and a large glass of orange juice will help you feel better for the day ahead.”

Excessive intake of alcohol has caused people to seek cures to get through the next day down through the ages. The Romans swore by raw owl’s egg, a pair of eels suffocated by wine was all the rage with the Elizabethans and cowboys in the old Wild West took tea made from rabbit dropping.

The most popular cures used by Irish workers these days, according to the survey, are fruit juice, water, tea, coffee, pain killer medication and the old hair of the dog.

Hangover cures:

US: tomato juice and eggs

Germany: pickled herring

Italy: coffee

Poland: sour pickle juice

Netherlands: beer

Russia: leafy birch branches

China: strong green tea

Romania: tripe soup

Japan: pickled plums

Mexico: shrimp