Survey Reveals Some Peculiar Excuses Used By Employees Calling In Sick
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Career Builder's annual survey about employees calling in sick revealed some interesting statistics and highlighted a few rather hilarious excuses given by some for staying home.
Jennifer Grasz, the vice president of corporate communications at Career Builder, spoke with 1010 WINS on Thursday and said some workers were being less than honest when they used their sick days.
"Thirty percent of workers said they have called in sick when they were feeling well. So 30 percent of workers had been playing hooky," Grasz said.
But some employers went to great lengths to check in on their employees.
Some -- 18 percent -- had employers call a suspected faker and 14 percent even went to the employee's home to check up on them, according to the survey.
Seventeen percent of employers surveyed said they fired employees for giving a fake excuse.
The survey also found that the winter holidays were the most popular time to call in sick. Twenty percent of employers said their employees called in the most during December.
As for some of the most peculiar excuses used by employees?
"Some of the real-life examples that we heard from employers was that the employee said his sobriety tool wouldn't allow the car to start," Grasz said.
Another, Grasz said, claimed that his "dead grandmother was actually being exhumed for a police investigation" and couldn't make it to work.
Other memorable excuses used by employees included:
- Employee forgot he had been hired for the job
- Employee said her dog was having a nervous breakdown
- Employee's toe was stuck in a faucet
- Employee said a bird bit her
- Employee was upset after watching "The Hunger Games"
- Employee got sick from reading too much
- Employee was suffering from a broken heart
- Employee's hair turned orange from dying her hair at home
What is the most interesting excuse you've ever used to call in sick? Tell us in the comments section...
