How to Tell if Someone is Pulling a Sickie

People get sick and that’s life, frustrating as it may be for employers and colleagues. When someone takes a sick-day however when they are really fine, it’s really annoying, and according to the CIPD 1 in 3 is fake. Here is my (almost entirely unscientific) guide to telling the difference between a real and fake sick-day (known as “pulling a sickie” for my non-UK readers).

Top 7 signs an employee is not really sick

  • It’s a Monday or Friday (not conclusive obviously but this is when many sickie’s occur)
  • It’s their birthday or the day after
  • It’s a World Cup match day or the day after
  • The next day they seem miraculously 100% well having had a “24-hour virus”
  • The next day they make a point of coughing or sighing loudly as they pass your desk
  • They return to work with a new tan
  • They exhibit these body language signs of lying