New York Workers Are Calling Out Sick After Breakups

A new workplace survey suggests heartbreak is sending some workers in New York home from work. They found many Americans are using sick days to deal with emotional stress, burnout, and relationship breakups.

Men Were More Likely To Take ‘Heartbreak Sick Days’

The survey from resume.io asked 1,000 full time U.S. workers about sick day habits. They found that over 7% of workers admitted taking time off after a breakup. Surprising to me is that men were more likely to call out sick after heartbreak than women. 8.3% of men said they had taken a sick day after a breakup compared to 6.3% of women.

Younger Workers Were Far More Likely To Stay Home

The study found a major age gap when it came to “heartbreak sick days.” Over 10% of Gen Z workers took time off after a breakup. That number dropped to 9.2% for millennials, 5.2% for Gen X workers, and just 1.4% for baby boomers.

Burnout And Mental Health Are Driving More Sick Days

They also found emotional and mental exhaustion are major reasons why workers call out sick. More than 80% of workers admitted they have lied about why they took time off.

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Researchers found burnout, stress, and mental exhaustion accounted for more sick days than physical illness. Other workers blamed toxic managers, conflict with coworkers, and overwhelming workloads for their mental health related absences.

Experts Say Workplace Culture Is Changing

More sick days are being used as a way for workers to recover emotionally. Researchers said many employees still don't feel comfortable telling employers they need time away for mental health struggles.