Almost one in 10 finance professionals have taken an illegitimate sick day over the last year, with absenteeism is more of a problem in the North and the Midlands, according to research by Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

It found that one in three finance professionals believe absenteeism is a problem in the workplace and want their employers to put policies in place to monitor absenteeism and consult frequent offenders. 

David Jones, managing director of Robert Half Finance & Accounting, says: “Absenteeism is a major problem in the UK and employers need to take serious steps to address it.  Not only should companies put in place longer term policies to ensure that their staff are healthier and happier and so are less likely to take time off work, they must consider the negative impact absenteeism has on the rest of the workforce. One of the main reasons why an employee will leave a company is when they lose faith in their manager’s ability to deal with under performers,” he adds.