Short-Term Sick Leaves—How They Affect Your Productivity at Work
- Gethealthcareuk
- May 20
- 2 min read
Updated: May 22

Are you willing to take sick leave for a severe cold or headache on a workday, even if you need to complete a presentation on time? Probably not! Whenever someone mentions the phrase "affect your productivity", employees tend to become alert and interpret it as a negative impact. However, taking short-term sick leave might “affect your productivity at work” positively.
People often avoid short-term sick leaves due to productivity and performance pressures. Recent studies are proving that taking a leave makes more sense, and so does using a digital doctors certificate for work in the UK. Resting and recuperating is the best mantra to promote long-term health and well-being, and a consistently productive team. Get an insight into this blog.
Taking a Break Makes Sense
In the UK-based workplaces, short-term sick leave is now a hot topic of speculation. Expert analyses published in the recent past indicate how the concept of “presenteeism and absenteeism” weighs on employees and pushes them to neglect their own health, just because they can “bear with it”. So, what to do?
When you feel ill, take a sick leave.
Take the time to rest.
If you need to verify your illness, just get a digital doctors certificate for work in the UK. No need to travel to visit the GP.
Doesn’t it sound simple? Compare this with spending workdays in discomfort and being jittery. Do you choose to forgo sick leave to circumvent the lengthy procedure of obtaining a sick note from your general practitioner's clinic? Things need to loosen up, don’t they?
When Absenteeism is Better Than Presenteeism
Even though paid sick leave is a mandatory benefit under UK corporate law, many employees feel stigmatised and shy about taking breaks for minor illnesses. Workplace expectations, or fear of negative repercussions, are some of the key reasons.
The concept of minor illness is somewhat ambiguous in contemporary work culture. You are not sick enough if it’s not a medical emergency. Things ought to change now. Many UK-based organisations are breaking away from this stoicism. Psychologists suggest that organisations may indirectly encourage employees to "power through" any health discomfort and arrive at work.
There is a wide adoption of employee well-being approaches. While there is greater acceptability of short-term sick leaves for 3-7 days, the use of doctors sick notes for work in the UK. The small steps lower the barriers for employees to feel at ease and tend to their minor health issues with better care.
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