WORKERS who take days off sick could be malingerers or they could be suffering from a genuine illness best cured by staying in bed.

This may seem like a statement of the obvious but it is an everyday scenario that has moved the supermarket giant Tesco to end sick pay for the first three days off work.

To date this is only a trial scheme, but in all likelihood this crackdown on "sickies" will become the norm at Tesco stores.

It is certainly true that workers who feign sickness in order to take time off work are letting down their employers and their colleagues, who pick up the pieces and do twice as much work.

Sadly, it is equally true that certain common illnesses - usually caused by whatever bug is the nasty flavour of the moment - will keep people away from work for a few days. Under the new Tesco proposal, workers will only be paid for being off sick from the fourth day onwards.

As is the way these days, Tesco is keen to stress the positive aspects of this move, saying that it should help reduce absenteeism. A company spokesman, spinning the corporate line, said: "This is not about penalising those who are genuinely ill."

In fact this scheme does exactly that, because the genuinely ill will be treated like those who are swinging the lead. They will have reason to be feel doubly sick: they really are ill and they are not going to be paid.

As is so often the way, the honest are being penalised by the behaviour of those who abuse the system.

It is easy to understand why Tesco should want to punish those who get paid for pretending to be ill. But this measure could well end up alienating hard-working staff.

Updated: 10:53 Monday, May 17, 2004