Don't Fake Being Sick to Get a Day Off From Work

According to a recent Harris poll, one in five North American workers have pretended to be sick to get out of going to work. In fact, 64% of sick days are really just mental health days. But those un-sick days are costing companies $654 per employee every year.

If you have a hunch that someone at work uses this ploy, look for the #1 sign the day before. Your suspect will cough and complain of a sore throat, just to make it more believable when they call the next morning. Men and women are guilty in about equal numbers. It's estimated that employees took an average of 5.6 sick days last year. That's down from 6.2 days the year before. Why the drop? The high unemployment rate makes people nervous about losing their jobs. Oh, here's a tip for you fakers. Quit faking and just ask for a mental health day. In poll of employers done by Business Week magazine, you’ll get more respect from your boss.