In the lie(n) of duty...

Employees are coming up with imaginative excuses when it comes to taking a day off

HR managers, did you know that nearly 43 per cent of your workers have called in sick once with fake excuses during the last year? According to a recent survey by a career website, 23 per cent of employees who call in sick are doing so just to catch up on their sleep while 27 per cent voted Wednesday as the favourite day of the week to take a sick leave. Also 26 per cent of workers call in sick on weekends.
The big question is: Why do workers want to keep away from work? ‘‘Blame the management. Most workplaces have become unpleasant as the management emphasises on productivity rather than creativity,’’ says adman Prahlad Kakkar.
With the boom in the BPO sector and the service industry, there is no dearth of career choices but this doesn’t help. ‘‘In fact, a majority of employees in all sectors yearn for a career switch,” says Vandana Jain, CEO, Impact Management Consultants, a job placement agency. Psychiatrist Jitendra Nagpal feels the absenteeism of workers is because of work’s mechanical nature. ‘‘We have sacrificed our passion for work to earn big bucks, leading to depression and mental anguish.”
Bizarre excuses
‘‘I’m too drunk to drive to work.’’ ‘‘I accidentally flushed my keys down the toilet.’’ ‘‘I had to help deliver a baby on my way to work.’’ (employee was not in the medical profession) ‘‘I accidentally drove through the automatic garage door before it opened.’’ ‘‘I’m too fat to get into my work pants.’’ ‘‘I cut my fingernails too short,they’re bleeding and I have to go to the doctor.’’ ‘‘My son accidentally fell asleep next to wet cement in our backyard. His foot fell in and we can’t get it out.’’ ‘‘I was walking my dog and slipped on a toad in my driveway and hurt my back.’’