Finger-pointing 'bad for nation's health'

People in the UK may be putting themselves at risk by working through illnesses, it has been claimed.

According to Dr Serene Foster, an immunologist speaking on behalf of Sambucol, British workers have the mentality that it is weak or lazy to take time off ill and this could be dangerous.

"We have a culture where we point fingers at people who don't turn up at work, but it's really got to be on the head of the individual to decide [if] they should go home rather than staying at work," she commented.

Recent research from Sambucol showed that mothers are the demographic most likely to put their health second to other priorities such as looking after their house and children.

Some 80 per cent of mums said they would carry on working even if they were ill.

Meanwhile, the poll also found that the average British employee works at least four days a year when they could legitimately be off ill.

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the average level of employee absence had reduced slightly from 8.4 days in July 2007 to eight days in July 2008.

The main causes of short-term absences were stomach upsets, flu and colds.