Nearly half of all workers who participated in a recent survey conducted by temporary staffing firm Adecco Group North America admitted to calling in sick when they weren’t. While 47% of the 522 workers surveyed say they’ve played hookie at work by faking an illness, 42% say they’ve never lied about illness to get a day off. Meanwhile, 72% of those surveyed say they believe their co-workers are lying about being sick when they call in due to illness. Also, it appears a sizeable number of workers are willing to lie about a death in the family or jury duty to get some time off. Slightly more than a quarter of employees—26%—say they have gained vacation time by fudging on bereavement days; 27% admitted to doing the same by claiming to have jury duty. The poll results say men are twice as likely as women to use bereavement time—and four times as likely to use jury duty—as a way to take extra vacation time. A quarter of women, compared to 11% of men, say they are “jealous” when a co-worker leaves work early. Two-thirds of those surveyed say their workload increases when their colleagues take off work, and 44% say they have added responsibility.
Today’s poll question: Have you ever lied about being sick, having a death in the family or having jury duty to get out of work?
