UK becomes sick man of Europe again

WORKPLACE attitudes to health are reviving Britain's old reputation as the "sick man of Europe", a survey suggests.

Employers are not doing enough to promote good health among staff, while many workers do not properly recognise when they are ill, the findings show.

The UK earned the "sick man" title in the 1960s and 70s but today the country is feeling the effects of sickness, with absence due to ill-health costing UK businesses almost 17 billion a year.

The new research by private health insurer Bupa shows that nearly half of British employees who took sick leave in the past 12 months continued to work when unwell.