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CCH® BENEFITS — 6/11/07

Sick Time Abuse High In Summer; Paid-Time-Off Bank Would Be Useful: Survey

from Spencer’s Benefits Reports: As summer weather arrives, employee absenteeism generally rises, according to a survey recently conducted by the Workforce Institute, a Kronos, Inc., company established to provide research and education on critical workplace issues facing organizations worldwide. The Summer Absenteeism survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, found that 39% of full-time employees have called in sick to work to enjoy a day off during the summer vacation season. Kronos calls this trend “Seasonal Affective Syndrome” (SAS) which, the company says, is “a huge issue for employers.” The survey of 1,977 adult workers was conducted April 13 to 17, 2007.

To curb SAS, respondents suggested that employers implement summer hours, such as short workdays on Fridays during the summer months, more flexible work hours, or a paid-time-off bank that allows employees to take time off at employees’ discretion.

According to Sick at Work, another recent study sponsored by Kronos, an overwhelming 98% of employees working full time have gone to work when they were sick. This information, coupled with the Summer Absenteeism survey results, illustrates the growing trend that employees are forcing the evolution of sick time use in the workplace. In fact, the recent abuse of sick time may compel organizations to consider this an archaic employee benefit.

“Because today’s workplace is dynamic and constantly evolving, organizations must implement programs and strategies to support this change,”said Jim Kizielewicz, vice president of corporate strategy at Kronos. “The dramatic shift in how sick time is being used by employees is just one example. With five different generations in the work force, organizations can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to benefits. Best practice organizations are implementing innovative programs to overcome the generational gap in today’s work force.”

For more information, visit http://www.kronos.com.

For more information on this and related topics, consult the CCH Pension Plan Guide, CCH Employee Benefits Management, and Spencer's Benefits Reports.

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