With today being National Sickie Day, Paddy Power Games has launched a Sickie Generator, allowing Brits to craft the perfect sickie excuse - following research showing 45% of Brits confessing to skiving off work.
On this day, 375,000 Brits are expected to ‘pull a sickie’, and the bookmaker has crafted a whole host of excuses including “I’ve got an eye test at Barnard Castle this afternoon” and “my partner bit me”, accessible by visiting the Sickie Generator.
Exclusive research by the bookmaker reveals 45% of Brits confessed to skiving off work in the last year, with 30% of those declaring they’ve done it more than once.
The study also asked Brits why they pulled a sickie, with a third claiming they “felt a bit tired” (31%).
Running out of annual leave (20%) was the second most popular reason, with being hungover and hating their job completing the top three, with 19% respectively.
The top-three most used reasons for pulling a sickie, according to Brits:
Rank |
Reason for sickie |
% of UK population |
1 |
I felt a bit tired |
31% |
2 |
I could not take the day as annual leave, so I took it off anyway |
20% |
3 |
I was hungover |
19% |
3= |
I hate my job |
19% |
The research looked into what area of the country is most likely to pull a sickie, with nearly two-thirds of Londoners (61%) admitting to taking at least one “sick” day – with 2% of Londoners having pulled more than 16 sickies in the last year.
More than half of residents in the North-West of England (51%) have divulged their love for taking a day off, with almost half of Welsh natives (46%) completing the top three.
When it comes to Brits pulling a sickie from work, 14% have been caught by their boss, with 4% confessing to having been caught more than once by their superior. And, it’s the Gen Z’s (18-24 years old) who have been found out more often than not, as 23% admit to being apprehended red-handed, with a mere 7% of baby boomers (55+) being caught at least once by their boss.
A Paddy Power Games spokesperson said, “Today is National Sickie Day – a day where 375,000 Brits are expected to mysteriously call in sick. Our research found that almost half of us admitted to skiving off at least once over the last 12 months. The other half are just lying.
“With today being National Sickie Day, we’re here to help Brits pull a sickie with the perfect excuse with the Sickie Generator. From taking an eye test at Barnard Castle to becoming yet another one of Chelsea’s new signings, we’ve got you covered.
“So, give the Sickie Generator a whirl, but be warned… we accept no responsibility if your boss doesn’t buy our excuses."
