More American Workers are Calling in Sick – Especially Gen Z

KQED's Forum

Thirty percent of all employees working in the professional services industries with an active PTO policy took sick leave in the first 10 months of 2023 — up 42% from 2019. That’s according to new research from the HR platform Gusto, which also found that workers aged 25 to 34 are the most likely of all groups to take sick days. We’ll look at why Gen Z and young millennials are less likely to work while under the weather and more likely to take mental health days – and whether older generations might have something to learn from them.

Guests:

Emily Stewart, senior correspondent, Business Insider

Malissa Clark, associate professor of industrial-organizational psychology, University of Georgia

Adam Leibow, editor, Calling in Sick Magazine