A recent study has unveiled August 24 as the date with the highest number of sick leave requests in the United States this year. This revelation defies the conventional notion of flu season and colder months being the primary periods for health-related absences.
The study, which spanned five years and analyzed sick leave patterns across various US businesses, was conducted using data from the Flamingo leave management platform. The insights gained from this analysis provided valuable information about the temporal distribution of health-related absences and highlighted some intriguing trends.
David Hehenberger, the founder of Flamingo, drew attention to several possible factors contributing to this surprising phenomenon. He suggested that post-summer fatigue or an increased vulnerability to infections as autumn approaches might play a role in the uptick of sick leave requests during late summer. Employers were advised to prepare for the potential impact of a shortage of staff as the end of August draws near.
Interestingly, the second highest day for sick leave requests was found to be February 13. This date is not only associated with Valentine’s Day but sometimes coincides with the high-energy event of the Super Bowl.
The study also unveiled a list of the top 10 “sickest” days:
August 24
February 13
October 25
December 15
April 18
February 2
January 24
June 26
December 12
September 5
Moreover, February stood out as the most illness-prone month of the year, displaying a significant increase in health-related absences. On average, around 10% of the US workforce takes sick leave during this month.
Upon investigating the underlying reasons for sick leave, digestive-related problems emerged as the leading cause. More than 54% of sick leave requests were linked to symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting. Notably, this surpassed issues related to COVID-19 (25%), conditions stemming from anxiety or stress (9%), and injuries like musculoskeletal issues or fractures (6%).
As this study brings to light these unexpected trends in sick leave patterns, it offers employers valuable insights to better anticipate and manage workforce availability during critical periods of the year.
