Workers taking sick leave for Crohn’s and colitis


A third of staff have lied over the true reason they are taking time off work when unwell, for fear of stigma in the workplace, new research has revealed.


A survey by the Crohn’s and Colitis UK charity of 1,000 UK adults found that employees frequently pick a “one-off” or short-term health complaint when calling in sick, instead of telling the truth about reoccurring problems.


The research shows that long-term health conditions are deemed the “least valid” reasons for not attending work, despite their often devastating symptoms.


Only 15% of people said that Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis were acceptable reasons to call in sick. Other often invisible long-term conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue scored even lower.


When asked for the most “legitimate” reason for taking a sick day, the top three answers were short-term illnesses: vomiting (43%), flu (36%) and food poisoning (33%).


https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/news/the-great-british-cover-up