August 24: America's Annual Sick Day
A study conducted by Flamingo, a leave management platform, has identified August 24 as the "sickest day of the year" in the United States, with the highest number of sick leave calls. This peak in sick leave occurs outside of the normal flu seasons, suggesting factors like post-summer fatigue or increased susceptibility to catching bugs as fall approaches. The second "sickest" day is February 13, which coincides with Valentine's Day and sometimes the Super Bowl. Stomach issues were the most common reason cited for sick leave, surpassing COVID-19, anxiety/stress-related conditions, and musculoskeletal injuries. While many Americans take sick days, a significant portion (26%) did not take any sick leave last year.