Calling in sick to work

Calling in sick to work Calling in sick to workPosted October 13, 2011, by Elizabeth Fenech A few years back, a Commonwealth public servant was caught faking lung cancer in order to get out of work. If you hate your job so much that a terminal illness sounds better than showing up at 9am, start looking for another job, pronto. This kind of sickie is not only unfair to your employer if youre found out, your job (and any future employment prospects) will go down the drain, fast. Many people consider sick days as part of their annual leave. But when does taking a day off damage your career and what does it actually cost employers? The cost to Australian businesses Just as employees who consider the office stationery cabinet as a supplies store for their desk at home are, in effect, stealing, workers who use their sick days inappropriately are costing their employer money. Absenteeism, legitimate or otherwise, costs the Australian economy approximately $7 tausend milliarden each year, and it is estimated that record absenteeism levels in 2010 cost Australian businesses as much as $30 billion. On an average day in Australia, four to five per cent of the workforce calls in sick. In America, a 2007 online survey by US website CareerBuilder found that 32 per cent of workers admitted to calling in sick when they felt well at least once in the past year and one in ten said they did so three or mora times. Using your sick days for good, not evil Granted, coming to work with eyes streaming from conjunctivitis is not recommended. Soldiering on when you really are ill is regarded in most workplaces as counterproductive. In 2007, a study commissioned by Medibank Private, Economic Modelling of the Cost of Presenteeism in Australia, found that presenteeism, the loss of productivity when employees come to work but arent fully functioning due to illness or injury, costs the Australian economy over $25 billion each year nearly four times the cost of absenteeism. No one wan ts to hear you cough and splutter all day, much less catch whatever virus is having a party in your body. Use your sick days when you need to. By staying away when your health isnt up to scratch, youre doing your co-workers a favour while earning the added bonus of catching up with Oprah and Dr Phil. Faking it Sometimes temptation is difficult to resist. The Internet has opened a world of opportunity when it comes to obtaining fraudulent doctors certificates. If you value your job, steer clear of fake documents. Many employers are attempting to crack down on those who are trying to rort the system with fake sick days and if you get caught out, youre likely to face criminal charges and may wind up losing more than just a days pay. Keeping your integrity Your boss wasnt born yesterday. He or she is guaranteed to take your 24-hour bug thing excuse with a grain of salt. Likewise, if your excuse involves your dog burying your car keys, sustaining an injury after falling into a snake pit at a weekend party or being too fat to fit into your work clothes, get out from under your doona and get into the office. When it comes to taking the day off, honesty is the best policy. Talk to your boss the day before maybe you can negotiate a personal leave day if the stress of work is getting you down. This is the most considerate way of operating, so your co-workers arent put out trying to cover your work as well as their own. If you really cant tell the boss that you need a break, try not to embellish your sickie excuses unnecessarily. Use elaborate details only if you write them down or have a superhuman memory. Its never fun coming in the day after a fake sick day and getting the details of your illness completely wrong. Top tips for sick days Karma warning if youre chucking a sickie, beware, taking an extra day off to make a long weekend may guarantee that, upon returning to the office, you could very well get sick for real. Only you probably wont be able to weasel an other day off without looking suspicious. Dont be the boy who cried wolf. No-go zones there are some obvious places where you should not be caught on a sick day. In a company car is one. On a golf course is another. Likewise, winding up on the news for winning the trifecta at the Melbourne Cup is not smart when your boss thinks youre at home with severe bronchitis. Go incognito returning to work with a suntan is not good form. If you have pulled a sickie, try to keep a low profile. Boasting about your beachside getaway in the lunchroom is a no-no. Know thyself figure out the real reason you cant face the office. Do you hate your job? Perhaps you should try looking for a new one. Too many big nights out and need to catch up on sleep? Consider having one less schooner at the pub or keep the hard drinking for a Friday night. Chucking a sickie every once in a while may seem harmless. Some even say its a great Australian tradition. If youre going to call in sick to work (when youre fe eling fine), be courteous and respectful of your employer and co-workers. Better still, find a job that you love and youll never want to miss another day of work again ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchescover letter for child care worker no experiencesample resume for aged care worker positiondisability support worker resume samplecover letter youth workerfreelance work online australia CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineElizabeth FenechRelated ArticlesBrowse moreChild CareCommunity ServicesIncreasing demand in the helping professionsThe health care an d social services industry is Australias largest employment sector, and over the next five years its expected to provide more jobs than any other industry.Employment trendsEngineers top recruiters skills shortages listPermanent recruitment has risen in the last three months from four per cent to seven per cent of recruitment agency jobs, with engineers topping the skills shortages list.FitnessFixated on fitnessWhether you picture yourself muscling-up your fellow mums or working your way onto Australias sporting fields, a career in the fitness industry can be as dynamic as you make it.