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Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com Nearly One-Third of Workers Called in Sick with Fake Excuses in the Last Year ST. LOUIS (PRNewswire), November 11, 2007 - 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. The survey included 5,989 workers and 2,929 hiring managers and human resource professionals. 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. Of the 35 percent of employers who checked up on an employee who called in sick, 67 percent said they required the employee to show them a doctor's note. Fifty-nine percent called the employee at home, 16 percent had another worker call the employee, and 14 percent drove by the employee's house or apartment. 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: -- Employee said he was crabby -- Employee got whiplash from brushing her hair -- Employee said her psychic told her to stay home or something awful would happen to her -- Employee said he wasn't feeling well and wanted to rest up for the company's holiday party that night -- Employee said her chickens' feet were frozen to the driveway -- At her sister's wedding, the employee chipped her tooth on a Mint Julep, bent over to spit it out, hit her head on a keg and was knocked unconscious with a mild concussion -- Employee claimed to have met a movie star and was spending the day with him -- Employee was injured while getting a haircut -- Employee tasted some dog food because the dog was not feeling well and now the employee is sick -- Employee's roommate locked all his clothes in a shed for spite -- A groundhog bit the employee's car tire, causing it to go flat -- Employee had been up all night because their favorite "American Idol" contestant was voted off Archived: Good Managers Have Significant Impact on Workers' Overall Job Satisfaction Social Security Primary Source of Retirement Income for African Americans Expanding Trade Has Delivered Better U.S. Jobs and Raised Standards of Living Blunt Offers Support to Prosecutors to Enforce Laws Against Illegal Immigration Unrealistic Expectations Could Lead to Broken Retirement Dreams for Younger Generations Employees Value Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts Job Seekers Continue to Shift Towards the Internet New Jobs Data Shows Unemployment Rising Among Least Educated Americans SHARE Network Additions Extend Career Resources to New Parts of the State Mortgage Crisis Could Create Talent Gridlock Dislocated Missouri Workers to Receive $1 Million in Assistance More Illinois Workers Confident in Ability to Find New Job Missouri Employers Add 11,000 Jobs in August Managers Believe in Motivational Benefits of Remote Working but Worry About Productivity Job Creation Bill Opens Door to More High Wage Jobs with Health Benefits Background Checks are Critical in Today's Workplace Construction Jobs Booming but Workforce Still Lacks Women and African-Americans Background Checks are Critical in Today's Workplace Butting Heads With the Boss: Speak Your Mind Without Regretting It New Research Shows Remote and Home-Based Employees Feel More Favorably About Company Community-Based Job Training Grants Impact Community and Technical Colleges Federal- and State-Level Minimum Wage Hikes Hurting Teen Job Market Strong Global Economy Boosts Demand for Contingent Tech/Engineering Workers    The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. 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