We all know that we need to take care of ourselves and get regular medical checkups. Preventative healthcare is important! But according to a recent poll of 2,000 U.S. workers, many employees feel like they can’t make time for doctor’s appointments. They’re too concerned about how their managers might react to them being away from the office.
Researchers found the following:
- 50% of respondents said that their managers made them feel like they should not schedule medical checkups during work hours.
- 50% of respondents worried that if they did leave work to go to the doctor, it would hurt their chances of getting a promotion.
- 60% of respondents felt uncomfortable whenever they were required to leave work for a preventative care appointment.
- 86% of respondents said that they would cancel a preventative care appointment due to workplace pressures.
- 18% of respondents said that they would be more likely to miss work to take a pet to the vet than they would to get a medical checkup for themselves.
When employees feel like they can’t (or shouldn’t) take time off of work to get a necessary medical checkup, they’re jeopardizing their health. In addition, in companies that discourage employees from getting preventative care, productivity and efficiency tend to go down, while costs tend to go up.
To combat this problem, managers should encourage their employees to get necessary medical checkups. They should also lead by example, and make time for their own doctor’s appointments. If employees see their managers taking time away from the office in order to receive preventative care, they’ll realize that it’s OK to do the same.
Zocdoc. (2016, October 11). By the numbers: The conflict between work and health. Retrieved from: https://www.zocdoc.com/about/news/unsick-day-by-the-numbers/
