Unsick days

US – A health app is promoting ‘unsick days’ to change the mentality around taking time off work for doctors’ appointments.

• Zocdoc is a healthcare company that runs a platform for booking doctors’ appointments
• It is encouraging employers to give workers an extra day of paid leave

The app is encouraging all employers to give their employees paid time off for pre-emptive care, such as visiting the dentist or going to the doctor for a non-emergency ailment.

The initiative was developed after a recent survey by ZocDoc found that 86% of working Americans would cancel or delay check-ups because of work demands, while 60% feel uncomfortable about leaving work to attend appointments.

‘Unsick Day will empower American workers to take care of important preventative care check-ups, which are often neglected due to workplace pressures and obligations,’ said the company in a statement.

Zocdoc, which will offer its own employees an Unsick day in 2017, has already persuaded 11 other companies to take part, including Foursquare, Virgin Holidays and Zola.