Sick days have taken on a whole new meaning.
As Gen Z employees enter the workforce, paid sick days (assigned by most companies) are being used more than ever.
About 30% of employees took sick leave in the first 10 months of 2023, up from 42% in 2019, according to HR platform Gusto, which is used by more than 300,000 U.S. companies.
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The average time spent on sick leave has also increased by 15% since 2019, reaching an average of 15.5 hours per year.
Another HR platform, Dayforce, reported a 55% increase in sick leave over the same period, based on user activity.
Among white-collar workers, Dayforce saw a 42% increase in sick leave since 2019.
Sick leave increased by 42% between 2019 and 2023, according to HR platform Gusto. (iStock)
Workers between the ages of 25 and 34 were the most likely to take advantage of these benefits, according to Gusto data.
“This younger generation is now the most likely to take time off work to rest and recover from illness, a sign of a generational shift in employee attitudes about taking time off to protect their health,” Gusto reported last year.
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Jake Canull, regional director of the Top Employers Institute in New York, responded to the data in a response sent to Fox News Digital.
In new research, Top Employers found that regardless of age, “employers encourage sick days to prevent and recover from illness,” Canull said.
Gen Z is “now the most likely to take time off work to rest and recover from illness,” according to Gusto, an HR platform. (iStock)
Many companies with high levels of employee engagement have created initiatives to raise awareness about mental and emotional health, the expert noted.
These same companies are 14% more likely to discourage people from working overtime and 9% more likely to encourage them to take stress-relieving breaks during the workday, Canull added.
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Gen Z employees are less likely to work in independent, self-directed workspaces as they value human contact and collaboration, she said.
“They tend to prioritize safer and healthier workplaces over opportunities for growth and development.”
Younger U.S. workers also prioritize their own well-being, she said, and are “very community-focused.”
“They usually [avoid] “They can infect their colleagues by staying home,” Canull told Fox News Digital.
“Generally, they tend to prioritize safer and healthier workplaces over opportunities for growth and development.”
Seventy-eight percent of Gen Z workers believe the workplace should create community, social connections and belonging, according to a survey. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News senior medical analyst and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone, told Fox News Digital that “it would be nice” to think that additional use of sick days is due to people being more aware of the spread of infection since the pandemic.
“But I don't think that's the case,” he said. “If anything, post-COVID fatigue has led to fewer precautions being taken, even in the face of COVID, which is now spreading widely again.”
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The doctor hypothesized that the increase in sick days is more associated with job burnout, lack of rewards and lack of commitment to professional careers, especially among younger people.
“People are more likely to cheat the system or require mental health days because of the increasing anxiety and depression in our society,” Siegel theorized.
“Some people simply feel the need to achieve a better balance in their lives between work and leisure.”
The rise in sick days could be due to burnout, lack of rewards and lack of commitment to one's career, a doctor has suggested. (iStock)
Dr. Kyle Elliott, a California-based career coach, agreed that Gen Z employees prioritize work-life balance.
“It's easier to take a sick day when you find meaning and purpose beyond your job and your career,” Elliott told Fox News Digital.
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Gen Z workers have also recognized that sick days are not reserved solely for physical illnesses, according to the expert.
“They can also be used when you are dealing with stress or exhaustion. — “And you don't have to provide your employer with a detailed reason for why you're using your sick time,” Elliott said.
Sixty-two percent of Gen Z respondents would be willing to accept a lower salary in exchange for a better work-life balance.
“Gen Z workers are proving that it doesn't hurt to take a day or two off when you're feeling mentally drained or burned out. — And it can pay off in the long run if you recover faster.”
Elliott suggested that America's younger workers are learning that “there's more to life than work” and that “there is little benefit to working when you're sick.”
Gen Zers are learning that “there’s more to life than work,” a workplace wellness expert says. (iStock)
Exclusive new data from Top Employers’ Gen Z survey revealed that 81% of young workers believe their employers have a responsibility to support their employees’ physical wellbeing.
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Meanwhile, 83% agree that employers are responsible for supporting the psychological well-being of their employees.
Additionally, 62% of Gen Z respondents would be willing to accept a lower salary in exchange for a better work-life balance, according to the survey.
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Gen Z workers encouraged fostering supportive work environments, with 78% saying the workplace should foster community, social connections and belonging, and 75% saying having fun at work is important.
