Sick days in the summer
June 13th, 2007 by Harold FordSHRM.org reports that thirty-nine percent of employees working full time have called in sick in the past to score a day off during the summer, and 30 percent will or might do so this summer, according to a survey of 2,021 U.S. workers. The two biggest reasons employees take “sick days” in the summer, according to research firm Harris Interactive, are to take a “mental health day” or “to enjoy the weather on a nice day”.
Employer strategies that workers said would most likely prevent them from misusing sick days during the summer were:
- Provide half or full day Fridays off during the summer (utilizing a compressed workweek).
- Provide flexibility through telecommuting or flex-time.
- Provide Paid Time Off plans that give employees a bank of time to use at their discretion.
