It’s a PIG of an excuse

Has it ever crossed your mind to fake swine flu just as an excuse to not go to work???

You would have to be living on Mars over the last 4 months to have avoided hearing about swine flu. With confirmed cases stretching from New Zealand to Iceland the chances of catching the virus seem high. Now most of us sensible, reliable beings would just hope not to contract it and go by our daily business with extra vigilance when it comes to cleanliness. Sneeze into a tissue, throw it away and clean your hands. Heaven a five year old child can master the basics!

However a recent survey by employment law firm Peninsula Ireland reported that employees have been calling in sick claiming that they are showing signs/symptoms of swine flu, but that bosses are all too aware that they are faking. Whilst most employers are resigned to fact that a small percentage of their workforce will actually contract swine flu, it is also considered as a given that a number of employees will pretend to have caught the virus.

The difficulty lies in where to draw the line and who to believe, with doctors now asking patients not to visit the surgery in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus, without an actual swab to confirm someone has swine flu – it is a bandwagon that some less conscientious employees will jump on! Is it a coincidence that the highest jump in cases of Swine Flu came the week that the NHS website went live and you could diagnose yourself without a visit to the doctors?

If you see swine flu as an excuse to call in sick – think again, your employers will be onto you and with many already struggling to keep their heads above water during these tough economic times – if you’ve faked it just to have a few days off, you may face strict disciplinary action & ultimately lose your job! The virus can’t be caught twice so what happens if you really contract the illness – how are going to explain that?

Michelle Heywood