Fleet managers are jeopardising productivity at work by attending when they should be at home recovering from illness.

A report of managers working in the transport industry, including those responsible for fleets, has highlighted a worrying culture of “illness equals weakness”.

The Quality of Working Life report compiled by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) shows that one in three managers claim a culture of not taking time off work for sickness exists in their organisation and only a third (32%) feel they would be treated sympathetically if they were ill.

Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the CMI, said: “While many employers bemoan the cost of absence to their organisations, they fail to see the damage done by creating a culture where illness is seen as a weakness.

“The risk of mistakes or spreading sickness surely outweighs the short-term benefits of someone turning up for work when not fully fit.”

You can view a summary of the report by logging on to www.managers.org.uk/workinglife.

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