Why almost half of Australian working mothers are going to work sick

Nearly half of working mothers are going to work unwell because they’ve used their time off caring for ill children.

In the lead up to Mother’s Day on Sunday, its been revealed that only five per cent of Australian mothers take care of themselves when ill, and only get one hour of ‘me time’ per day.

And 90 per cent of stay-at-home mums keep looking after their household and family even when they’re under the weather.

Meanwhile, those working mothers still rack up 80 hours of work including paid employment and at home despite illness, The Courier Mail reported.

The data comes from a survey of more than 1000 women by Cenovis Women’s Health.

Tudor Marsden-Huggins, Employment Office managing director, told the Courier it was common for mothers to stockpile leave in case a child became ill.

‘I think most employers wouldn’t want any employee to come into work sick, for their own well-being, and for the health of those around them. But when you have a young family sometimes there just aren’t enough leave days to go around,’ he said.

He said despite it being 2016 there were still expectations women would care for sick children, a idea that needed to be challenged, he said.

Practising nutritionist and mother-of-two, Kate Freeman, told the Courier it was a timely reminder for women to take care of themselves – particularly with ‘cold and flu season’ nearing.

She said it was an ingrained sense of duty and pride that kept Australian mothers going.

Triple P Positive Parenting founder Professor Matt Sanders said mothers who managed to find time for themselves found being parents easier, it was reported.

By LEITH HUFFADINE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

15 Comments

- - ChiWren said
  - 04 Oct 2024
    10:45 pm
Ugh it sounds about right. As much as I’d love everything to just stop and wait out my sickness to go away, it doesn’t. Everything goes on, and so must I. Last time I was sick my bub was 9 months old and still breastfeeding, and he was sick also. Couldn’t give that responsibility to anyone else

- - mom134803 said
  - 09 Jul 2016
    4:06 am
I think many mums don’t get paid when sick or there’s no time or space for the mums to get sick. Not good but true, women tend to walk around too long with sick symptoms before they give attention to it…causing to worsen their condition sometimes unnecessarily.
It’s time that women take better care for themselves.

- - mom19782016 said
  - 21 Jun 2016
    10:49 am
“…an ingrained sense of duty and pride that kept Australian mothers going.” Um, not me. I do contract work so if I’m off sick, I’m not paid. It’s the need for a pay check that keeps me having to turn up to work unwell. I suspect there would be a lot of mums in the same boat as me.

- - hologro said
  - 20 Jun 2016
    7:17 pm
I get 10 sick/carers days per year, and I sure do use them.
I use them on my kids, so when I fall sick, I have no choice but to go to works. And I know many mothers who are in the same boat.

- - sharna_booth_weinrowski said
  - 24 May 2016
    6:44 pm
I never go to work sick anymore! I found that it went through my team quite quickly!

- - june11 said
  - 10 May 2016
    11:09 pm
Children bring sickness home from school, pre-school and childcare. It tends to go through the household even if you disinfect places that are handled a lot.
Many are airborne so you don’t know you have come into contact with it. make sure you all wash your hands after going to the toilet and before eating. Apart from your own family which are impossible not to come into contact with, try to avoid contact with people you know are sick if you can and hope you manage to avoid catching illnesses.

- - rachelvk said
  - 10 May 2016
    8:01 pm
i can certainly relate to this. Almost all my sick leave is used to care for family members so there is not enough for me when I am sick.

- - sharna_booth_weinrowski said
  - 10 May 2016
    2:07 pm
this sounds so familiar! Yep i go to work sick…

- - Nas01 said
  - 09 May 2016
    11:59 pm
This rings true.

- - mum4107 said
  - 09 May 2016
    10:46 pm
I work 2 casual jobs if I’m sick or my child is sick, I don’t get paid if I don’t go. Obviously sometimes I physically can’t go

- - mom81879 said
  - 09 May 2016
    8:50 pm
I totally relate to this. I’ve been known to chew up all my leave nursing everyone else, then have none left when I become sick. Ending up going to work sick

- - mom165081 said
  - 09 May 2016
    4:41 pm
Such a hard thing to negotiate – and typical for any primary caregiver. Part-time works just adds to the problem.

- - BellaB said
  - 09 May 2016
    4:40 pm
Well, also the fact that SOMEONE has to keep going.

- - mom90758 said
  - 09 May 2016
    2:29 pm
That’s quite scary to read. Mothers need to take care of themselves. Going to work sick doesn’t help them getting better.

- - mom160421 said
  - 09 May 2016
    2:23 pm
Mums have to take care of everyone, including themselves, otherwise the household routine would just fall apart.