OVERWORKED employees are resorting to playing hooky to get a break from the office.

What kind of excuses have they used? Well, it seems quite a few have faked an illness. Twenty-nine per cent of workers have called in sick for a day off, according to a CareerBuilder survey.

Were the workers able to get away with the lie? Well, 29 per cent of employers take it to another level by checking up on their “sick” employees — some resulting in firings when excuses were discovered to be false. Other employers ask for a doctor’s note from workers, while some managers had another co-worker call the employee or drive by the employee’s house.

Reasons for taking a “sick” day included doctor’s appointments, errands, plans with family and friends, or needing relaxation time.

“If you need to take some time away from the office, the best way not to cause yourself more stress is to be open and honest with your manager,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice-president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

When trying to come up with an excuse, do not follow in the footsteps of these workers. These excuses are just ridiculous:

* Employee said a chicken attacked his mom.

* Employee’s finger was stuck in a bowling ball.

* Employee fell asleep at his desk while working and hit his head, causing a neck injury.

* Employee said a cow broke into her house, and she had to wait for the insurance man.

* Employee’s foot was caught in the garbage disposal.

* Employee called in sick from a bar at 5:00 pm the night before.

* Employee said he wasn’t feeling too clever that day.

* Employee called in the day after Thanksgiving because she burned her mouth on a pumpkin pie.

Think about your excuse before you call in sick. If it sounds crazy in your head, it will sound even more unbelievable when you tell your boss. Save yourself some drama and just tell the truth.

— Creators News Service