Monster Meter Poll Reveals Nearly 75 Percent of U.S. Workers Go Into Work Sick

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 20, 2009-- Despite recent news surrounding the H1N1 (Swine Flu) influenza virus, most workers in the U.S. are going to work sick. Seventy-one percent of U.S. workers admit they do show up at work when they are ill, according to a nationwide poll conducted by Monster.com® that asked its U.S. visitors, “Do you go into work sick?” Monster.com is leading global online career and recruitment resource and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW).

Over a one week period beginning May 11 and running through May 18, nearly 12,000 U.S. visitors to Monster.com participated in the Monster Meter poll.

“Interestingly, despite news surrounding the recent H1N1 (Swine Flu) influenza virus, and advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to avoid the workplace if workers are sick, 71 percent of Monster Meter respondents admit they do go into work when sick,” said Norma Gaffin, director of career content, Monster.com. “Of those who go to work sick, 33 percent fear losing their job if they take a sick day, while 38 percent admit their workload is too busy to take a day off from work even when they are ill.”

Only 19 percent of Monster Meter U.S. respondents admit they stay home from work when sick in order to rest up and get well. The remaining 10 percent who avoid the workplace when sick, actually work from home, even though they’re ill.

Do you go into work sick?

• Yes, work is too busy for me to miss a day: 38%
• Yes, in this economy, I’m afraid I’ll lose my job: 33%
• No, I work from home if I’m sick: 10%
• No, I rest up to get better: 19%

In a recent Monster.com Career Advice column - the Top 10 Most Annoying Work Habits- Jen Star of The Jennifer Group, a New York City-based recruiting firm that specializes in placing and maintaining support staff, looked at 10 surefire ways to become a workplace annoyance. Going into work sick rated number six on the top 10 list of most annoying workplace habits. “If you’re unhealthy, stay home,” advises Star. “But it you have the sniffles and must go into work, cover your mouth and do whatever you can to avoid infecting your co-workers.”

“Whether it’s the sniffles or H1N1 Swine Flu influenza, a recent Associated Press report addressed the fact that sick or not, many workers cannot afford to stay home when ill because an estimated 57 million working Americans do not have paid sick days,” Gaffin added.

Check out the Monster Career Advice site for other tips on Staying Healthy at Work and continue this discussion on The Monster.com Blog.

The Monster Meter is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. The results of this Monster Meter are based on 11,920 votes cast by Monster.com U.S. users on the Monster.com homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. This poll is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate.

About Monster Worldwide

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 index. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://corporate.monster.com.

Source: Monster Worldwide, Inc.

Monster
Kathy O’Reilly, 978-823-2002 or 978-394-9334
kathy.oreilly@monster.com