With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, the turkeys are thawing, the cranberry sauce is flying off the shelves, and people everywhere are starting to think about the winter holidays that are going to be on us before we know it.  Once the Christmas music hits the mall, 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 their vacation time dwindles, employees may resort to creative reasons to tap into their sick time.  This year alone, one employee called in sick because his favorite football team lost on Sunday, and he needed Monday to recover.  Another got lost and ended up in another state.  Another employee said a chemical in turkey made him fall asleep, causing him to miss his shift.  In what may be an even stranger phenomenon, 30 percent of employees said they had gone to work when they were sick so they could save their sick days for when they were feeling well.

The excuses may be mythical, but an increase in hooky during the holidays is very real.  CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism revealed that 30 percent of employers reported more empty chairs during the holiday season.  A full 32 percent of employees skipped work at least once this year by lying about an illness (up 2 percent from last year, and 3 percent from the year before).  That means one in three workers took the occasional day to run errands, spend time with family, or just take a breather.  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.

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 house.  Social media was the method of choice for other employers checking up on their employees.  At the end of the day, 16 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 worth considering when an employee calls in traumatized because he saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus.

If your business is battling increased absenteeism, you’re not alone!  The YES! Your Human Resources Solution team 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! Your Human Resources Solution, 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.