According to a new study, the average American spends about 84 hours a year working while sick. The survey of 2,000 Americans found that the average person works 10 and a half days a year in inclement weather and 47% admit they would prefer to take a day off when they are sick.
Forty-eight percent of respondents say they have received a negative comment from someone else when they feel unwell, either because of allergies or other conditions and illnesses, and over a quarter of respondents (26%) said in their group friends or family, that they feel like they are the person who is most often sick or unwell.
The study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Nectar Allergy, examined the effect of colds and allergies on the work and social lives of Americans. Respondents miss 17 social events because they don't feel well in a year.
While a cold, flu or other illness (40%) was the biggest reason respondents missed social events, allergies (33%) also played a role for a third of respondents. According to the study, half of all respondents (49%) suffer from air allergies during a year.