Getting real sick of social work.(work absenteeism among social workers; includes other notes)

SOCIAL workers are highly regarded as they work with orphans, the old, the handicapped and the unfortunate. Many consider them as a group of people who make sacrifices and perform work that most others would not want to do.

Also, one would assume that if someone is involved in social work he or she loves doing that work.

It therefore comes as a shock to learn that social workers in children's homes in Britain are at the top of the pile when it comes to taking sick leave. Social workers are on sick leave for 19.2 working days - almost four weeks - a year. The average worker takes 7.8 days.

The total sick leave taken by its people costs Britain an annual loss of STG10.7 billion (RM58.10 billion), according to the study by the Confederation of British Industry, the Employers' Organisation and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD).

According to a report in The Sunday Times, next to social workers, the "sickliest staff" were civil servants working for the Registry of Friendly Societies. These workers are responsible for record-keeping …