This story appears in the
April 2000 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Our super-fast economy has finally led to super-fed-up workers,
who are calling in sick in droves simply because they feel entitled
to days off. Entitlement is at an all-time high for the second year
in a row, accounting for 19 percent of unscheduled absences
according to the 1999 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey.
Though absenteeism declined 7 percent last year, unscheduled
absences still cost employers an average of $602 per employee
annually. And a good chunk of that change can be attributed to a
rise in reported stress (which tripled between 1995 and 1999) and
the subsequent spread of the entitlement mentality (which more than
doubled).
"People feel they've been working longer hours-in some
cases because jobs aren't being filled quickly due to the
incredibly tight job market. Remaining workers end up picking up
the slack," explains Susan Jacksack, a senior small-business
analyst for the CCH Business
Owner's Toolkit, a Web site run by the Riverwoods,
Illinois, business and legal publishing firm.
Though preventive programs like flexible scheduling and
child-care referral are perceived as helpful, disciplinary action
is still the most popular option at 77 per-cent of the companies.
Paid time off-banks of hours employees can use for various
reasons-is perceived as the most effective program; however, only
27 percent of organizations use it.