But she is scornful of Wandsworth's clamp down, since genuinely ill people are bound to get caught up in the system. A better approach would be to take aside a suspected serial skiver and show concern about their health. When it comes to excuses, slackers tend to be fairly uninspired. Back pain, sore throat, colds, flu, tooth ache and migraine, are the standard fare, says Ms Baron. And sometimes they even lie to themselves.
People tend to rationalise it in their head.
They will think 'I worked hard last week', or 'I was in work with a cold last week, so I'll take today off'. Perhaps the best solution for Wandsworth and other employers would be to follow in the steps of publishers Cabal Communications. Trusting the employee to be responsible works, she says. I've never known anyone need to take a sickie.