Developing countries around the world have different laws pertaining to the allotment of sick days, and thus each country has it's own calculation as to the number and true cost of sick days. In an article dated September 05, 2006, according to Onrec.com, sick days cost the UK economy 1.7 Billion per year. Statistics Canada reported a range of 6.5 to 9.6 days lost per worker for 2005 on a per province basis.

With sick day absence costing billions of dollars each year, companies can now go to Costofabsence.com to get a quick picture of the sick day bill they face. However, providing sick-day options to employees is critical in a number of ways, with the most obvious being the general consensus that paid sick days improve public health by reducing the spread of disease. So although there is a cost associated to paid sick days, the true cost benefit could be a healthier overall staff, and thus fewer collective sick days.

Caring for a sick child or other loved one is a very common reason employees are forced into the use of sick days. Unfortunately not all countries provide a sick day option for all employees, so the employee is faced with choosing between a pay cheque or caring for a sick loved one. Certainly a terrible position to be in, yet so many find themselves exactly in this position. Even with paid sick days, one basic option companies can consider providing are fundamental technology tools that allow employees to Telework on these unexpected days. Tools such as Remote PC and Meetings Online are affordable, and although they are not the ultimate solution, they can assist the employee and employer in solving critical issues in a pinch.

Teleworking Tools are directly associated with the mobile office concept, and the wireless world has found a way to marry these tools with sick leave. Implementation is the next step and although sick leave is not a formal teleworking implementation strategy, the tools a person could use for a sick day are the same. Some Teleworking Regulation Links can be found here.