Oct 22, 2007 4:29 pm US/Eastern
Web Sites Help You Get Away With Calling Out Sick
'Booming' Sites Sell Fake Doctors Notes, Jury Duty Notices, Etc.
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Calling out sick so you can really do something else? Now you can help your cause with Web sites that beef up your alibi.
CBS
Two-thirds of U.S. workers who call in sick -- often on a Monday -- do so for reasons other than being ill, and now several new Web sites provide official looking excuses that can help someone get away with it.
It's figured to be a given in any workplace, and a recent poll shows that more than 30 percent of employees admit to taking at least one fake sick day in the last year.
"Workers are complaining about increased workload, having more stress at work, and therefore are finding more reasons why NOT to come to work on a daily basis," said Brent Rasmussen of CareerBuilder.com.
And now these truants have a new tool -- Web sites that sell excuses! From doctors notes and jury notices to funeral programs, just about every trick in the book can be found. Typically on the sites, a would-be faker pays online and downloads a template. It comes with sample names and addresses on it, but you can also personalize names or locations.
One of the leading sites tells CBS 2 that business is booming!
"A quarter of a million people have visited our site," says John Liddell, co-owner of MyExcusedAbsence.com.
Generally, costs run anywhere from $5 to $25, but buyer beware: the National Human Resources Association says more employers are digging into workers' stories. The group does admit, however, that these new notes can be tough to detect.
"The detail on these excuses and counterfeit documents are incredible," says Brian Barry, a NHRA spokesman.
Making it even harder: if you use your doctors name, federal law prohibits the release of any of your information. And remember, jury duty notifications are public record.
"Anytime you falsify information in any capacity that's grounds for dismissal," says Barry.
Another site, PhonyExcuses.com, has a disclaimer telling customers they bear responsibility for their actions with the forms. Similarly, MyExcusedAbsence.com says right on the site that the notes are for "entertainment use only."
"You use them at your own discretion," Liddell says.
Human resources experts say more corporations are setting up task forces to keep tabs on people who habitually call in sick. So the best advice? Just ask for a day if you really need it, otherwise you may get caught in the act and the consequences just might make you sick to your stomach.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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