Survey Finds Many Workers Call In Sick with Fake Excuses
Nov 13th, 2007 • Posted in: Research ReportFrom CareerBuilder.com:
“Is the cough on the other end of the line real? According to CareerBuilder.com’s annual survey on absenteeism at the office, 32 percent of workers said they have called in sick when they were well at least once in the last year. And while the majority of employers (75 percent) said they typically believe excuses given by employees, 35 percent reported they have checked up on an employee who called in sick and 16 percent said they have fired a worker for missing work without a legitimate excuse….
“Twenty-seven percent of workers said they consider their sick days to be equivalent to vacation days and one-in-ten admitted to playing hooky three times or more even though they were feeling well. One-in-five workers (23 percent) said they took the day off simply because they just didn’t feel like going to work that day. Fifteen percent missed work because they needed to relax, 11 percent had a doctor’s appointment, 9 percent wanted to catch up on sleep and another 9 percent had plans with family and friends.
“More than half (52 percent) of employers say Monday is the most popular day for employee absenteeism, followed by Friday at 24 percent and Saturday at 9 percent….
“While some employers are more skeptical of certain absences, others are incorporating more flexibility into their sick day programs. Sixty-nine percent of employers said they allow their team members to use sick days for mental health days.
” ‘Employers are placing a greater emphasis on work/life balance, offering more opportunities for employees to recharge and return to the office more productive,’ said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. ‘Your best bet is to be honest. If you’re a strong employee and you’re truthful about the time you need off, your employer is likely to give it to you. Lying about it, on the other hand, can have a lasting, negative impact on your credibility and job tenure.’
“When asked to share the most unusual excuses employees gave for missing work, employers offered the following real-life examples….”
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