Home > Job News > Graduates > 8 out of 10 staff would use virus excuse < Job News and Info

Students who are looking for a way out of work as deadlines and exams loom on the horizon, may want to take into consideration the news that eight out of ten workers in the UK say they would consider using the Norovirus as an excuse to miss work, according to a report.

Research by the employment law firm Peninsula revealed that 83 per cent of workers in Britain would consider using the sickness as a way to get a couple of days off work.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsular, said: "It's the perfect excuse for a couple of days off work and it's easy to justify and difficult for employers to prove that their employees illness is non-genuine. Employees are being told to stay away from their GPs and advised to take time off work. The legitimacy of their absence is difficult to prove."

However Mr Done added that employees need to be aware that a "cry wolf situation is likely to occur" as the virus is highly contagious there is a chance they could genuinely get the illness at a later date and an employer would be less likely to believe them.

The firm has revealed that its legal line has receieved 2,245 calls since New Years day from employers who are concerned about workers being off sick with the Norovirus.

Peninsula is a provider of employment and health and safety services in the UK.

Find and apply for graduate jobs through the Graduate Job Search, or use the All Jobs Search to find other types of student job vacancies and work opportunities.