Many Swedes go to work despite being ill. This is shown by the Swedish Work Environment Authority’s survey of the work environment in 2021, which is presented today.
Six out of ten respondents have at some point in the past year worked despite being ill and, according to their own assessment, should have stopped.
– It wears on the body, if you’re sick you should of course be on sick leave if you can’t work, says Erna Zelmin, director general of the Swedish Work Environment Agency.
That one does not want to burden one’s colleagues or cannot afford to be sick are some of the most common explanations. The report also shows that it is more common for women to go to work despite being ill.