http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14177601


So not just me trying that one.

I misread the original title on the BBC website as being 'One in three workers admits to skydiving'.

My news article was much more entertaining .

Two in three workers admit to lying to surveys.

Jon

My thoughts exactly.

I've never skived off work. I've been off I think a total of six days over four years and they've all been genuine (twice gastroenteritis, twice proper 'flu).

There are days when I don't feel like going but you know what? I suck it up and go in.

+1

Been off half a day at the current job, and that was after my car accident as I was in A+E until well after midnight and didnt get home until about 2am

If I'm ill I still at least make an effort to go in, would work from home but usually end up going in anyway

I think there are times when everyone needs a personal day, we're human after all, not sodding robots. TBH I'd happily take one unpaid - sometimes you just need the break.

You have annual leave and most people have the weekends off too. The only time I really felt like I wished I had more time off was when I worked in A&E. The shifts were horrendous and I had one weekend off a month. Although the hours were always eight hour shifts (apart from nights which were twelve hours), the variable start times made it horrendous. A week's shift could be: Mon start 1200; Tues 1000; Weds 1600; Thurs 1600; Fri 1000; Sat 1800; Sun 1800

There was no rhyme nor reason and consequently my bodyclock was messed up, particularly as I like to wake up and then go to work rather than faff around for a few hours. On the odd occasion, the shift pattern meant I'd had only five hours' sleep.

I don't remember ever calling in sick when I wasn't feeling genuinely ill.

It's just that, one or two of those "illnesses" may have been exaggerated slightly... Hangover -> Flu

Only had a couple of days off in the last two years. When I had gastritis I worked from home, but I had a real serious dose of flu around Christmas. I lost over a stone in weight and thought I was dying. It took me over a month before I really felt myself again.

Here in Germany, there is no self-certification. If you are ill, you go to the doctor and get a sickness certificate. If your doctor doesn't certify that you are sick, then you cannot claim sick pay and you better have a damned good excuse.

Can't really pull a sickie when you're offshore.

I assume the rig has some sort of standing medical personnel though right? You can't have large groups of people doing physical, sometimes dangerous work in sometimes harsh conditions hundreds of miles from any hospital without having a doctor around, surely?

That really doesn't work here were getting a doctors appointment is pretty much impossible.

Yup can just see it here - Feeling sick on Monday - phone doctors and told eariest appointment next thursday

As for my self - Not had 1 day off at current Co (been here since 2006)