Three Million Working Days Are Lost Each Year To Care For Sick Children

Research shows that 67% of parents take a day off work to take care of their sick child

The research also revealed that 34% of the parents asked had taken three or more days off to look after an ill child in the past year and 67% of parents admitted to taking one day off work in the past twelve months to look after their sick child.

59% of parents struggled to make last minute childcare arrangements when an illness occurred, whilst 36% percent of parents confessed to roping in a family friend or relative to look after their child at late notice.

Worryingly, 28% of those surveyed said they felt uncomfortable taking time off work to look after a child, or take them to appointments, despite employees being legally allowed time off to care for a dependent.

Respondents stated workload pressures (57%), and presenteeism (31%), the need to be seen working and present at work, as the main reasons for feeling uneasy about leaving work to care for their youngster.
Although there are no set limits on how much time a carer can take off work, employers can ask their employee to take annual leave or unpaid parental leave for extended periods of care. The research also showed that the burden still falls on women (72%) were most likely to take time off work to look after ill offspring.

Eren Ozagir, CEO and founder at PushDoctor.co.uk, said "Concerned parents often lose a proportion of their working week trying to meet inconvenient daytime doctor's appointments, or taking time off to look after them. The last thing parents need when a child falls ill is the worry and stress of work commitments and keeping up appearances."

"Using technology to manage your health and conduct doctor's appointments can reduce the amount of time they need to take out of their working schedule whilst also reducing the pressures in seasonal illness peaks can put on doctor's surgeries. Determining the seriousness of the initial illness will provide parental peace of mind and empower them with the knowledge that they do really need to take time off to look after their children."

Residents in Yorkshire (78%) and Derbyshire (73%) topped the list of regions most likely to take time off work to care for a dependent, as rural areas suffer from reduced primary care coverage and limited transport options. Meanwhile those in Greater Manchester (47%) and Newcastle (49%) are least likely to take time off work.

For more information and to book an online consultation with a Push Doctor GP, visit www.PushDoctor.co.uk or visit the App Store.