Christmas music in the mall already?  That can only signal that the holiday season is on its way!  And as Thanksgiving and the winter holidays approach, employers may begin to notice a curious phenomenon: more employees calling in sick.  After all, who doesn’t want more time off around the holidays?

When the vacation time runs dry, employees may resort to unusual reasons to miss work.  This year alone, one employee said his relative was kidnapped by Mexican drug lords.  Another got a cold from a puppy.  Another employee said his 12-year-old daughter stole his car and he didn’t want to report it to the authorities.

The excuses may be strange, but the phenomenon of playing hooky during the holidays is very real.  CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism revealed that 29 percent of employees skipped work at least once this year by lying about an illness.  Though holding steady from last year’s figures, that still means one in three workers took the occasional day to run errands, spend time with family, or just take a break.  A correlating one in three employers reported more empty chairs during the holiday season.

Aside from extending the holiday cheer, the most popular reasons employees erroneously call in sick are because they just don’t feel like going to work, they need to relax, and they need to catch up on sleep.  Stress may be the real force behind these increased sick days.  If that’s the case, it might be worthwhile to teach employees that their honesty will be appreciated, because stress can adversely impact their health if left unchecked.

While most employers say they believe an employee who calls out sick, nearly a third admit to checking up on an employee’s story, usually by requiring a doctor’s note.  Other employers called the employee at home or even drove by the employee’s residence.  At the end of the day, 15 percent of employers admitted to terminating an employee over unverified sick time.  That may not be the best way to spread holiday cheer, but it may be something to remember when an employee claims Grandma got run over by a reindeer.

If your business is battling increased absenteeism, you’re not alone!  The recession necessitated increased responsibilities and longer work days for many workers, and this extra stress can quickly take its toll on employee wellness.  That’s where YES! Your Human Resources Solution can help get your employees—and your business’ productivity—back on their feet.  We’ll team with management and your existing HR staff to determine the best ways to keep your employees healthy, motivated, and working toward your business’ bottom line.  We’ll study your business needs to determine a unique approach, which may include exploring an employee wellness program, increasing manager-employee communications, or reexamining work distribution and staffing needs.  See how YES!, Orange County’s premier HR consultants, can help your business thrive and grow this holiday season and throughout the year.  Visit our website or contact us today for a free consultation!