Millions lie to take leave from work

LONDON - One in five employees take leave for stress but almost all are too afraid to admit it and instead lie about having an upset stomach or that a relative is ill, researchers have found.

While it found that talking about workplace pressures is still a huge taboo, few workers actually want to hide their stress from their bosses.

Seven out of 10 would like to discuss the issue with their employers although one- third want their manager to make the first move, reports the Daily Mail.

Previous research from the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests businesses are losing around 8.4 billion pounds a year through absenteeism caused by poor mental well being.

Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, a mental health charity which conducted the study, said: “Millions of people experience unmanageable stress at work, and the fact that so many people feel forced to lie about it rather than finding a solution should be a major concern for our businesses.

“If employees don’t feel they can be honest about the pressures on them, problems that aren’t addressed can quickly snowball into low morale, low productivity and high sick leaves. We’d urge employers to encourage a culture of openness at work so they can solve problems now rather than storing up problems for the future,” Farmer said.

The Mind research also reveals that 62 percent of employees feel their bosses aren’t doing enough to look after the workplace well-being of their staff.