A recent Harris poll found that 21 percent of American adults have called in sick to work at least once when they weren't really ill. According to a survey by CCH Inc., a Riverwoods, Ill., human resources information provider, only 36 percent of unscheduled absences last year were actually illness-related. The real reason for absence was usually family issues, personal needs, stress and "entitlement mentality", which is the feeling among some workers that they are entitled to a day off now and then.
See "Entitled to a day off? Call in sick to work", Richard A. Marini, Chicago Tribune, April 7, 2004