The research, conducted by the University of Bedfordshire’s Prof Gail Kinman and Siobhan Wray from York St John University, revealed that out of over 5,000 UK academics, nearly 50% of said they “always or often” went to work when unwell, while over 50% said they “always or often” worked from home when sick.

”We found that academics work while sick due to the pressure of the job and other work-related factors, as well as more personal reasons, such enjoyment of work,  boredom and the need to feel productive. Reading and sending emails was particularly common in order to keep the volume down,” said Prof Kinman.

The academics who said they continued to work while sick often did so because they did not want to let down students or colleagues, indicating high commitment to their job. Difficulties in rescheduling lectures and marking deadlines were other key factors. The fear of being unable to catch up when they go back to work or having to ask colleagues to cover were also important.

With academics able to work from home, Prof Kinman also warned about the emergence of a ‘Twilight Zone’ about what constitutes being sick, given that many staff can do some duties from home while ill.

“Academics are clearly not alone in continuing to work while sick and working through very minor illness may be therapeutic. However a combination of workload pressure, a lack of support and a deep involvement in the job tends to encourage academic staff to keep on going even through more serious illness, when they may be better off resting,” said Prof Kinman.

“There is strong research evidence that ‘presenteeism’ can lead to longer-term health problems, increasing the risk of future absence and reducing people’s effectiveness at work.”