(KGTV) - If you've ever called in sick to work, but you weren't really ill, a new study shows you're not alone.
Statistics compiled by CareerBuilder show 40 percent of American workers used a fake sick call in the last 12 months.
Many of the workers who took part in CareerBuilder's study said they made up an illness excuse to not go to work because of doctor's appointments, the need to catch up on sleep or they just did not feel like coming to work that day.
More than one-third of workers said they go to work despite being sick so they can save sick days for personal use, according to the study.
However, the CareerBuilder study showed many bosses/managers aren't always fooled by an employee's sick call.
"Over a third of employers (38 percent) have checked up on a worker who called in sick to make sure he or she was actually sick, and 26 percent have fired a worker for calling in sick with a fake excuse (up from 22 percent last year). Forty-three percent have caught an employee lying about being sick by checking out their social media posts, up from 34 percent last year.
When checking up on an employee who called in sick, 64 percent of employers required a doctor's note, 46 percent called the employee, 25 percent had another worker call the employee, and 22 percent drove by their house or apartment."
Employers shared some wild sick-call excuses with CareerBuilder, including:
- A bear was in employee's yard and they were afraid to come out
- Employee called in "fat" because uniform didn't fit
- Dog swallowed employee's car keys so she was waiting until it came out
- Employee did not have enough gas to get to work
- Employee were [sic] not sure how the solar eclipse would affect them so it would be safer to stay at home
