Employees are more likely to have been absent from work due to personal reasons than because of sickness, new research has revealed.
The study suggested that emotional health was now on a par with physical wellbeing while employees noted that increased work flexibility and generous benefit packages would prevent absences.
According to Canada Life's survey, the majority of people (57%) said they had taken time off despite not being ill, with as many as one in ten (10%) doing so for emotional problems such as relationship break-ups.
The number of employees who would consider not going into work because of a relationship issue is even higher at 23%.
In this case women were slightly more likely to cite this as a reason for taking time off (11% vs. 7% of men).
However 6% of men have taken time off to enjoy good weather and 4% to watch a sporting event.
Although 43% of all employees say that they only ever take time off work because of sickness, a significant number have found that personal problems or family commitments have caused them to miss work.
More than one in ten (12%) have taken time off to look after family members, while 10% were unable to attend work due to childcare issues.
And 10% have taken time off because they have a hangover.
Perhaps worryingly, 6% have taken time off to avoid a difficult situation or problem at work, showing the importance of making sure employees have someone they can talk to about their problems.
The report also found that employees believed increased job flexibility in the workplace would avoid unnecessary absences.
More than half said flexible hours (59%) and the chance to work from home (53%) would provide the greatest incentives, with 43% requesting the ability to store-up overtime and 31% desiring flexible holidays to accommodate childcare and other such issues.
Other suggestions included a bonus for 100% attendance (42%), a third (37%) would like a better work-life balance and the ability to leave on time while (28%) said a generous benefits package would incentivise them not to take time off work.
Paul Avis, sales and marketing director at Canada Life Group Insurance, said it was inevitable that increasingly busy and stressful personal lives would come into conflict with work commitments.
"Employers should make sure they support their employees in work and personal lives.
"If they can provide some form of assistance for outside work problems, such as access to counsellor or advice service, then employees are likely to be more productive.
"Similarly, the ability to work flexible hours might reduce the number of absences due to family and personal commitments," he added.
