‘No fault’ sick day sidelines unexpected productivity drains
Little can leave you in the lurch like when a staffer — cough cough — calls out sick on a Monday or Friday. Sure a paid time off bank can help minimize that. Or you can try this instead.
There are plenty of companies that aren’t willing to lump sick and vacation time together. Most of them just resign themselves to the occasional “mental health days” that come when vacation days run short.
One controller of a western municipality we know wasn’t willing to sit back and accept that.
So they tried a somewhat radical solution: Offer employees one employer-sanctioned cheat.
No questions asked
They called it the “no-fault” sick day. How it worked: Once a year, employees can call out sick — no questions asked, no doctor’s note required.
Of course, a floating holiday would have served a similar purpose. But it robbed people of the thrill of “getting away with something.” (Even if the company said it was OK by them.)
Turns out just a little hooky can go a long way. This organization saw a drastic 50% drop in unscheduled absences on Mondays and Fridays after putting the cheat day in place.
That’s a huge boost to their finance department’s efficiency.
- Share on
Free Training & Resources
Further Reading
As employers finalize their 2026 budgets, rising healthcare costs are forcing tougher decisions in financial planning and employee benefits...
Reassessing HSA employer contributions can increase participation while capturing meaningful payroll tax savings. Employer contributions to...
On Aug. 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order expanding 401(k) plans’ ability to include alternative investments – such as...
While the IRS can assess penalties under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it can’t issue the certifications required beforehand, a court ha...
Earned wage access, also known as on-demand pay, is being leveraged by your peers as a key recruitment and retention tool for workers who m...
Employees may not understand lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs) as well as you think. That can lead to questions or just confusion. Thi...
