According to a new study, the average number of sick leave days has reached an all-time high in 15 years, with the average employee taking just under eight days of sick leave between 2022 and 2023.
With Euros 2024 being just a few months away, it is key to note that the number of sick days may increase due to Brits being committed football fans. But it begs the question, how guilty is the admin and HR industry for taking time off work to watch a match?
Interested to find out more, experts at Live Football Tickets sought to reveal the industries that are most committed to watching a game by calling in sick to work.
Key Findings:
- Over half (64%) of employees in the Admin & HR industry have been caught lying to their boss.
- 23% of Admin & HR employees had called in sick to work to enjoy a football match.
- All respondents working in Admin and HR have called in sick seven to nine times.
Top 10 industries guilty of calling in sick to watch a football game
| Rank | Industry | Called in sick |
| 1 | Advertising & Media | 29% |
| 2 | Legal | 28% |
| 3 | IT & Security | 26% |
| 4 | Construction | 25% |
| 5 | Admin & HR | 23% |
| = 6 | Logistics | 20% |
| = 6 | Marketing & PR | 20% |
| = 6 | Banking & Finance | 20% |
| = 9 | Catering & Hospitality | 18% |
| = 9 | Engineering | 18% |
Employees in the Admin and HR sector are fifth most likely to call in sick to watch a football game, as 23% shared they had done this.
However, failing to be successful in lying to their boss, 64% of their employers had caught them out.
Almost a quarter (24%) had invented an excuse to leave work early to view a game, whilst 13% revealed they had skipped work entirely to attend a football match, the least common habit in this industry.
Admin workers shared that 18% had been late to work because they were watching a football game.
The sector ranked eighth (18%) for employees arriving late to their job due to watching the sport.
Admin & HR employees revealed that they are most likely to pull a sickie around seven to nine times in total.
Overall, these employees also ranked as eighth most likely to prioritise football over the workplace – 26% revealed they had never done anything to miss work to watch or attend a football match.
Football club fans most guilty of pulling a sickie
| Rank | Football Clubs | 1-3 times | 4-6 times | 7-9 times | Average number of sick days to watch a game of all time |
| 1 | Newcastle United | 20% | 40% | 30% | 4.8 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 44% | 41% | 13% | 3.9 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 47% | 47% | 6% | 3.8 |
| =4 | Arsenal | 48% | 3% | 10% | 3.5 |
| =4 | Manchester United | 53% | 31% | 11% | 3.5 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 42% | 38% | 8% | 3.4 |
On average, Newcastle’s fans have each called in sick 4.8 times to catch a game, the most out of all clubs. This is closely followed by Liverpool (3.9) and Manchester City (3.8) fans.
However, the risk of missing work for this sport may not be worth it as a third (33%) say they have been caught after lying to their work.
Despite being the most likely to pull a sickie, Newcastle fans are least likely to get caught, with only 36% being found out. That honour goes to Crystal Palace fans – two thirds (66%) have been caught calling in sick by their boss.