Business News Briefs

Sick as a dog, of work

Jobless as I may be, I’m still looking out for you, the gainfully employed. Two recent studies begged my two cents, and without steady income, four pennies was all I could afford.

Remember Ferris and his blissful day off? One third of the 1,650 personnel surveyed in Orlando, Florida admit to faking sick to stay home.

“Meanwhile more than one in four [of 1,150 surveyed] hiring managers said they had fired a worker for taking a sick day with no legitimate reason for doing so.” The Orlando Sentinel

Ouch! Last time I watched the aforementioned film, Bueler played hooky all the time and never got expelled. Then again, maybe some managers were just trying to sound tough and scare off potential slackers. One thing’s for sure, although the number who confessed to phony maladies dropped from 43% in 2005, someone who’s creative enough to invent a disease might lie when asked about it.

If it’s any consolation to employees canned for having a little fun, weren’t you trying to get out of work in the first place? Right, now you’ll never have to go again. To all those wriggle-out-of-work pros out there, practice those bogus coughs!

The American pipe dream heads down the tubes.

The good old American dream purportedly received a makeover, or so says MetLife’s product research.

“ ‘Where previously the American dream was defined as a combination of homeownership, a happy family life and financial security stemming from a stable career, the defining theme now is almost a singular desire for financial security,’ said Rob Henrikson, chairman and chief executive of MetLife.”
Pamela Yip

Our country’s radical new dream? In order of importance: financial security, free from want, family/children, and homeownership. Surprise! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the American dream is the same as always. Sure, depleted pensions make financial security top reverie, but all the original tenets are accounted for. As for me, I hit the hay wishing for a job I won’t call in sick to. I also still want a wii; it’d make whiling away the responsibility free hours that much more enjoyable.