Calling In Sick When You’re Not

A survey on “summer absenteeism” shows 39 percent of full-time employees have called in sick just to enjoy a day off. They call it a “mental health day.” They use the day to go shopping, go to the lake, or lounge around the house.

Mondays and Fridays seem to be the day most popular. As managers who have 1,000’s work for us, we can attest to the truths found here. It’s happening and in many workplaces, its rampant.

At wikihow.com, writers have even compiled a guide of how to do this. They suggest:

Find a quiet place to make the phone call.
Call your boss.
Keep the excuse short and to the point and credible.
Cough a few times if necessary, or speak in a raspy voice for added effect.
However, speaking somewhat slowly will probably work better!
Get off the phone as quickly as possible.

They suggest saying things like “Its coming out both ends” or “I can’t stand up for more than a couple of minutes.”

Sick leaves costs American businesses — big time. The University of Pennsylvania says that sick days cost U.S. employers $74 billion a year. The average worker takes about 5.2 sick days a year.

So, how should Christians approach sick time? How about the “mental health day?”

Have you ever ‘faked’ a sick day — or do you see it as just another benefit? Comment here.