iGaming sector sees new trend: employees are taking fewer sick days and working through illness more often  

The traditional sick day seems to be slowly disappearing. This is according to new research by iGaming.com involving 4,000 remote workers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain. The study was carried out within the iGaming sector, where remote working is now the rule rather than the exception.  

The results show that almost half of employees nowadays continue to work when they are ill. Instead of taking a full day off, many people choose to stay online from home, sometimes even from their beds.  

Of all those surveyed, 47.8 per cent say they work more whilst ill than they did when they used to go to the office every day. Only 7.8 per cent still take a proper sick day on which they completely switch off from work.  

Remote working is changing the meaning of a sick day  

According to Prof. Dr Andreas Ditsche, CEO of iGaming, the research shows just how much work culture has changed since working from home became the norm in many sectors.  

‘Particularly in international sectors such as iGaming, we see that employees have much more flexibility than before. That flexibility has its advantages, but it also means that people are less likely to stop working entirely when they feel unwell.’ 

The study shows that employees are increasingly opting for a middle ground. They do not officially report sick, but continue to work at a slower pace from home.  

‘For many remote workers, the traditional choice between going to the office or staying at home no longer exists. This is giving rise to a new pattern of behaviour whereby people remain online despite being ill,’ said Ditsche.  

Germany shows that policy influences behaviour  

The differences between the countries studied are striking.  

In Germany, where employees receive their full salary for up to six weeks whilst on sick leave, 42.1 per cent carry on working when they are ill. That is the lowest percentage of the four countries surveyed.  

In Italy, the figure stands at 51.3 per cent and in the United Kingdom at 51.4 per cent. Spain comes in at 46.4 per cent.  

According to Ditsche, these figures underline how important financial security remains. 

‘When employees know that their income is protected, they feel less pressure to stay online. The survey shows that regulations and employment conditions still have a significant influence on employees’ behaviour.’ 

Working from bed is becoming increasingly common  

Almost one in five respondents say they now work from bed when they are ill.  

The United Kingdom tops the list at 22.6 per cent, followed by Italy at 20.3 per cent. Germany and Spain both stand at 17.2 per cent.  

Furthermore, it appears that 58.7 per cent of those surveyed simply stay at their desks when they are feeling unwell. 

Particularly in sectors where laptops, cloud software and online communication play a central role, it is becoming increasingly easy to remain active despite being ill.  

Monitoring also plays a role  

In addition to financial factors, iGaming.com also investigated the impact of monitoring by employers.  

On average, 46.1 per cent of respondents say their employer monitors their work-from-home activities in some way.  

Spain has the highest level of monitoring at 64.8 per cent. Germany has the lowest at 29.5 per cent.  

According to Ditsche, this may influence employees’ willingness to take sick leave.  

‘When employees feel that their online presence is constantly visible, they are more likely to log in anyway. That does not automatically mean that people are productive, but it does mean that they remain present.’ 

Fewer sick leave claims do not automatically mean healthier employees  

The researchers therefore warn against misinterpreting falling sickness figures.  

Formal sick leave is relatively rare in Spain and the United Kingdom. At the same time, it is precisely in these countries that working whilst ill is at the highest levels recorded in the study.  

According to Ditsche, employers must therefore look beyond the number of sick leave notifications alone. 

‘A fall in the number of official sick days does not automatically mean that employees are healthier. It may also mean that people are putting their illness to one side whilst continuing to work.’  

The research shows that remote working has not made the traditional sick day a thing of the past. The sick day has simply taken on a new form: online, visible and often with the laptop still open.