News Notes: Employers Paying More For Absenteeism, Survey Says

A new absenteeism survey by Commerce Clearing House Inc. indicates that absenteeism costs climbed to an all-time high in 2002—even though absenteeism itself dropped slightly. Employers spent an annual average of $789 per employee for unscheduled days off, up from $755 in 2001. While workers listed illness as the most common reason for calling in sick, the survey also revealed that two-thirds of workers’ unscheduled time off is for non-health-related reasons such as family issues, personal needs, stress and “entitlement mentality.”