Workplace Challenges
Sneaking 'sick days' could be a symptom of a bigger problemWorkplace bluesAt one time or another, many of us have experienced an overwhelming feeling that we simply cannot face going into work. LISA BRANDT, STATISTICS CANADA |
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 [ 2007-11-30 ] |
(Comstock)
If we're not truly ill, we have gotten creative with an excuse.
Several classic tactics can be employed to beg off a workday. Some theatrically minded employees fake a cough and hoarse voice. Others concoct a death in the family, such as a beloved grandma, perhaps forgetting that they've already used that one twice before.
Rod Phillips, president and CEO of employee assistance provider Shepell.fgi says organizations understand that people sometimes take a "mental health day."
Statistics Canada reports that absenteeism of Canadian workers has more than doubled in the decade from 1997 to 2006.
Phillips blames the phenomenon on a collection of factors that has developed in recent years.
"Work is done faster. Home life hasn't lightened up in terms of the pressures of the rest of our lives. The amount of time people spend getting to and from work has become twice as long in the last seven years. You're losing that time, likely, in your home life. Things pile up on people."
Still, Phillips says, it's really not acceptable to lie to your boss.
"Principally it's not okay because although grabbing a day here and there can be helpful sometimes, often there's a need for more than that. It's just putting a Band-Aid on the problem."
Another factor is vacation angst, wherein workers are too burdened on the job to even consider taking their rightful holiday time.
Finally they burn out and call in "sick." Phillips sees the need for a spontaneous mental health day as a bit of a red flag and an opportunity to reassess one's lifestyle.
"Ask yourself what is it that's happening here and what do I need to do beyond sneaking a day here or there. A lot of times it can be a warning sign that you need to make changes."
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EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM
Both men and women shared in the rising incidence, with rates for both full-week and part-week absences being higher for women. Reasons for the growing trends in both number and incidence include the aging of the workforce and improvements in sick-leave entitlements for employees. While full-week absences have shown minimal seasonal patterns, the same cannot be said for part-week absences. Compared with the annual average, part-week illness absences are roughly 30% more common in the winter months and 20% less so in the summer months.
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