[maccard]

Anecdotal, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, I've a friend who works in healthcare in the UK. Even though the official line is that they're not to come in to work while ill, not turning up ends up putting them under an incredible amount of pressure, and they have to justify every sick day to the post where even when she had some quite serious issues she was still working rather than face up to her management

[brudgers]

There is a mental overhead from work piling up whenever a person in a line position takes a day off for whatever reason. Illness, vacation, holiday...it doesn't matter.