One in six Americans qualifies as a caregiver who may benefit from flextime.
A revealing survey recently crossed my desk. It was from a human resources outsourcing organization that conducted it on behalf of a client trade association of plumbing contractors that do new construction work. The annual "Unscheduled Absence Survey" by ADP Screening and Selection Services found that unscheduled employee absenteeism climbed to a five-year high of 2.4 percent last year, up from 1.9 percent in 2003. According to the study, only 38 percent of unscheduled absences are due to genuine illness.
Here's why the other 62 percent of employees surveyed called in sick: