<?xml:namespace prefix = o />Research shows that more and more people are playing hooky from work, for reasons other than ill health. If you observed your parents going to work, you would remember that they hardly ever took a day off. It was a time when people accumulated their leave over the years. The cashable part was converted into money and the rest of it was carried forward till the time of retirement. Yes, our parents were very committed to work.
But today, employees use up all their leave, and more.
The reasons for seeking leave are varied. “Sickness” is the most common excuse given for taking days off work. Then other reasons are like birthdays and anniversaries in the family. Family functions, parties and weddings are also an important reason to skip work. It is also mandatory for many people to take leave coinciding with school holidays because kids must be taken for a vacation. If you count all these days off and add them to the two weekly off days (Sat/Sun) and other holidays, it seems that we work for only eight months in an year.
Should You Play Hookey From Work?
Most companies deal with absenteeism by introducing a target driven approach to work. People who work hard are awarded with incentives and the non-serious ones are punished with a salary cut. In this scenario, what should you approach be? You can make all kinds of excuses and skip work without being penalized. But if you lag behind in your targets, it ultimately does reflect on your salary slip. More importantly, if you make an excuse and are caught, it can spell hell for your career. Employers are increasingly resorting to social networking websites and other online resources to track what an employee is upto. So when you skip work to go to a picnic with friends, you might be caught by your boss through the pictures you post on Facebook! Is it worth it?
Research shows that attendance record plays a big part in determining an employee's career progression. It helps the company in deciding how serious an employee is regarding work. So it affects your chances of promotions and also your annual increments.
When You Should Play Hookey From Work
It is not ALWAYS wrong to take a day off from work. Everyone needs a breather ever now and then. So if you are sick, you absolutely need a day off, maybe two. If there is an emotional distress, you probably shall not be contributing much at work. So take a day off and attend to the matter. A sickness or death in the family is another occassion when you cannot avoid taking a day off. But apart from these reasons, there is no reasn why you should skip work when you already have two weekly off days to rejuvenate.
Finally, it is each to his own, but you will find that taking fewer days off fom work has many long-term benefits. Think about it before you call in sick the next time!
