A new survey finds that twenty-nine percent of workers have admitted to playing hooky from the office this year. This is a risky move because fifteen percent of employers polled said they have fired a worker for faking a sick day. Many say important errands and plans with family and friends are among the top reasons for calling in sick when they were perfectly healthy. While we're not advocating lying to the boss, the holiday season is extremely busy and sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.
The Most Common Time to Call in Sick
According to a new CareerBuilder survey, employers notice more sick employees taking time off at certain times of the year. One out of three employers say it seems workers call in sick more often during the winter holidays. But according to other data, the most sick days are taken during the first quarter of the year:
- January through March – 34 percent
- April through June – 13 percent
- July through September – 30 percent
- October through December – 23 percent
Texting the Boss
Believe it or not, there's an increase in the number of people who are texting in to notify their boss or manager that they're taking a sick day. Phone calls are still the most common way to let your superiors know you won't be in, but emails and texting would eliminate that awkward phone call.
- Phone call – 84 percent
- Email – 24 percent
- Text message – 11 percent
Crazy Excuses for Sick Days
The CareerBuilder survey asked employers to share some of the craziest excuses employees have provided for why they won't be coming into work. Some of the most outlandish excuses included that an employee's child stuck a mint up his nose and had to go to the ER to remove it, an employee's 12-year-old daughter stole his car which meant he couldn't get to work, and an employee said bats got in her hair.
"While outrageous events are known to happen, frequent absences and over-the-top excuses can start to bring your credibility into question," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder in a news release. "Many employers are more flexible in their definition of a sick day and will allow employees to use them to recharge and take care of personal needs. This is especially evident post-recession when employees have taken on added responsibilities and are working longer days. Your best bet is to be up front with your manager."
How to Avoid Getting Caught
The best way to avoid getting in trouble is to call in sick only when you truly are. Don't arouse suspicion by avoiding the boss—actually talk to them and tell them you're not feeling well. Keep fake coughs and sniffles to a minimum because you're probably not as great of an actor as you might think. Also, as you can imagine, Fridays and Mondays are the most commonly requested sick days. Call in mid-week and you may have a better chance of remaining low-key. The good news is you've probably got sick days to burn. The average worker took only five sick days in 2006, according to a report by Mercer Human Resources Consulting. Most companies offer eight or nine on average each year.
