BBC Learning English 6 Minute English
4 August 2011 NB: This is not a word for word transcript
Dan:
Hello, I'm Dan…
Alice:
And I'm Alice.
Dan:
And this is 6 Minute English! And today we're talking about sickies. To pull a sickie means to pretend that you're ill so that you don't have to go to work. Britain apparently has the highest number of false sick days in Europe – according to new research one in three of us has admitted to pulling a sickie at some point, so there are a lot of us pretending that we're ill. Are you one of them Alice? Have you ever been tempted to pull a sickie?
Alice:
Of course not. How you could you even hint that I might.
Dan:
Well, Alice, you are such an honest person. Hm, but we have this week's question for you. As I say British workers pull more sickies than any other country in Europe. But which European country, Alice, pulls the fewest sickies? Is it: a) Latvia b) Austria c) Denmark
Alice:
I would guess, Denmark. But only because I think they might have the largest number of holidays so that they would not need to pull sickies
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Dan:
Aha, logic! OK.
Alice:
I don't really know.
Dan:
Well, we will see if you are right at the end of the programme. Now, according the consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, people not showing up to work costs the British economy around £32 billion a year. So there's a serious impact from people skipping work.
Alice:
Skipping work. To skip something here means to not do it. So if you skip class, for example, it means you don't go to class; and if people are skipping work it means that they're not going to work.
Dan:
Another word for skipping work is skiving.
Alice:
Skiving – This is a British English term for avoiding work. And a person who does a lot of skiving is a skiver.
Dan:
So let's listen now to some people in Britain talking about whether they think it's acceptable to skip work. What do these people think about skiving?
I think it's acceptable, but not too often. What can I say? It happens to everybody, you know, big night. I just think it's part of everyday life. If it's for another job interview and you're unhappy where you are, go for it! But I think taking one is OK, but if they do it again and again and again, then I think they need to readdress that.
Dan:
So the man there said he thought it was acceptable to skip work, but not too often – it's a part of everyday life.
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Alice:
And the woman said that if people are skiving again and again and again, then they should readdress that. They should examine it or discuss it again. But she also said if you're unhappy where you are, you should go for it! Go for it! means 'do it!', so she's encouraging people to take time off work if they're unhappy where they are.
Dan:
Being unhappy at work is one of the main reasons people pull sickies and pretend they are ill. They might be feeling bored or depressed at work, or they're applying for another job, or taking a holiday, or they're hungover.
Alice:
Mmm, I'm sure there are quite a few people who were suddenly 'ill' during the World Cup too.
Dan:
Yeah I'm sure there were! PricewaterhouseCoopers says that the best way to avoid people skiving off work is to try to engage them in their job, so that they want to come to work. Companies should try to build loyalty from their workers by treating them well. Some companies even offer 'duvet days'. Have you heard of these Alice?
Alice:
I have; actually, I had a job once that had duvet days built in. A duvet is the soft covering on a bed that you can sleep under, it keeps you warm and cosy. So I guess 'duvet days' are days when you can stay under your duvet; when you can stay in bed.
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Dan:
Yes. A duvet day is a day when you can tell your office that you're not coming into work, but you don't need to pretend that you're ill. As long as you tell them, they're happy for you to take a day off. Let's listen to one British worker talking about how his company started using duvet days. How many duvet days are people at his company allowed each year?
What we employed was a duvet day. So instead of someone saying 'I'm sick and I'm lying,' we allowed people to have four duvet days a year where they could quite happily call in with 24 hours' notice and say 'do you know what, Monday morning, or Friday morning, I'm going to be late and come in at lunchtime.
Dan:
So his company allows people to take four 'duvet days' each year, if they don't feel like coming into work, but they don't have to lie and pretend that they're ill.
Alice:
Very clever. I like the idea of a duvet day.
Dan:
I really like the idea of a duvet day! OK Alice, we're back to today's question. I asked you at the beginning of the programme which European country pulls the fewest sickies?
Alice:
And I said Denmark.
Dan:
Yes, your logic was correct, Alice. Denmark takes the fewest sickies or pulls the fewest sickies each year. So they're either the most honest workers in Europe, or they are the best ones at lying to people who are giving surveys. I'm not really sure. So, finally Alice, could you please remind us of some of the vocabulary we've heard in today's programme?
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Alice:
Sure, we had: To pull a sickie To skip work To skive Skiver Readdress Go for it! Duvet Duvet day
Dan:
Thanks Alice. That's it for today, but what are the most imaginative excuses for sickies you've ever heard? Let us know in English on the BBC
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Vocabulary and definitions
To pull a sickie
To take time off work pretending that you are ill
To skip work
Here, to not go to work
To skive
To avoid work or duty
Skiver
A person who does a lot of skiving
Readdress
Look at an issue or a problem once again
Go for it!
Do something in order to get something
Duvet
A large cover which you sleep under in bed
Duvet day
An extra day's holiday which your employer allows you to take
More on this story: Read and listen to the story online: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/110802_6min_english_sickies_page.shtml
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