60% Of Workers Have Lied About Being Too Sick To Work, Survey Finds
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's probably pretty hard to find someone who hasn't told a little white lie at work. It's not uncommon at all, but the people who fib the most might take you by surprise.
On a beautiful Monday, it can be tempting to grant yourself a three-day weekend. That starts with a call to your boss.
In fact, according to a new survey by Simply Hired, calling out "sick" is tied for the top white lie told by employees at work.
"The day was so nice and I just had to go out, I said I wasn't feeling well," one man said.
Eyewitness News spoke with some people locally about the survey.
The results of the survey showed that 60% of workers have lied about being too sick to work. Sixty percent also lied about having plans after work so to not have to socialize with coworkers.
The third-most common workplace lie? Hitting traffic on the way in.
One woman Eyewitness News spoke with went a step further to her boss with a fib.
"That my car go towed," one woman said.
So are the little white lies harmful? Twenty-eight percent of people find calling out sick of work harmless.
Other common lies include claiming to never have received emails, giving phony compliments or claiming to be happy with one's salary.
"I think it's more about the intention behind it and the vibes that you are putting out in general," one man said.
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Now, faking a death of a loved one may not be considered a little white lie but one woman said she used that lie before.
"I have said actually that my grandparent has passed away once because I was going on a week trip and I needed to go home," one woman said.
What leads to lies? The survey found that the less satisfied a worker is, the more likely they were to lie once a week.
It also found that bosses are more likely to lie frequently than entry-level employees.
Management's most common fibs were "we don't have the budget for that," "I need this as soon as possible" and "that was my idea."
