A Nation Of Social Sick Notes?

Have you ever feigned illness to avoid a friend’s birthday bash, or claimed to have car troubles when you really just fancied a night in front of the telly? Well you’re not alone, it would seem, as we are becoming a nation of social sick-noters, according to a new report!

Nearly half of us admit to faking an injury or ailment to avoid attending a specific event, and in the last 12 months alone the average Brit has side-stepped six social commitments, ditching on average one every two months.
A further 44% of us would rather make an excuse than go out for drinks with pals, according to the research.

Over a quarter have avoided a colleagues leaving do, while a further 17% have made an excuse to not attend a dinner party. And the majority of Brits who used illness as an excuse (44%) admitted that they avoided the dreaded situation by feigning a headache, closely followed by a “stomach upset” (32%).

But a further 15% admit they dreamed up an injury to miss a friend’s birthday party, while 12% pretended to have hurt themselves so they could get out of date night with their other half. Worrying!

The most common injury excuse for dodging events was backache (42%), followed by pulling a muscle (18%), spraining an ankle (15%) and banging a head (12%).

A further 21% of those consulted claimed they got their injury by falling down the stairs, while another 19% said they tripped over in the street. What a dishonest bunch we really are!

Nearly a fifth (19 %) preferred to fake a gym injury, while 15% dreamed up a DIY disaster – and an imaginative 4% even said they had injured themselves by walking into a lamppost, rather than turn up to something they didn’t fancy.

The research was commissioned by Nelsons arnicare arnica cream. Brand manager Emma Wright studied the results and admitted to Belle About Town she was shocked by some of the findings! “Work and social lives are becoming
increasingly busy for the majority of people, meaning it can be difficult for us to find time for ourselves,” she said.
“Rather than letting friends or work colleagues down and cancelling on them outright when it comes to a social event that we don’t want to attend, we try to soften the blow by faking an injury or ailment.

“Excuses are all well and good unless you get caught out or really do get struck down with an injury or ailment that you had supposedly had over a particular social occasion.”

But when this happens, Emma has a handy hint to help you get to the party you do  want to attend! “If you do suffer a minor injury or trip or fall then Nelsons arnicare arnica cream is ideal to have to hand,” she adds. “It is a traditional herbal medicinal product for use on bruising exclusively based upon long-standing use as a traditional remedy”.

When asked why they fake injuries or ailments, 48% said it was easier than letting people down by not turning up.
A further 35 % said they made excuses because they were too tired to go out. And an overwhelming 78% of those questioned said they thought it was acceptable to make up an excuse to avoid something they didn’t want to go to. However, don’t get too many ideas, as 17% admitted to having been caught out after they had made an excuse to avoid an event. Oops!

The study also revealed that the average Brit pulls three sickies from work a year, with 35% admitting they faked it to dodge a day in the office.

We’re saying nothing *cough*.