Hi, Swen? this is Ollie.. I can't come in today.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - In a country already plagued by soaring sick leave costs, a new survey has found that 40 per cent of the population thinks it's acceptable to skip work because they feel tired or have trouble getting along with their colleagues.

The Swedish government, troubled by the survey's finding, said Friday it planned to launch a national information campaign about sick leave benefits and when it was proper to use them.

Paying for workers on long-term sick leave and disability has become one of the government's biggest expenditures in recent years.

The survey, presented by the National Social Insurance Board, found 65 per cent of the 1,002 people interviewed June 17-24 believe a stressful work situation is also a valid reason for calling in sick. No margin of error was given.

In an opinion article in daily Dagens Nyheter, board director Anna Hedborg said the study unveiled "a deep lack of knowledge about what the health insurance is meant to cover."

The board will launch a campaign to inform people that only illness is a valid reason to stay home from work, she said.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2004/09/17/633159-ap.html

hi cass! i'm lucky to have a great job with sick and vacation time. but i wish they would clump it together and let me manage my own leave time. when ever work knows ahead of time who is absent, life is easier for fellow employees.

I thought that was called a mental health day or preventive maintenence and was allowed? That is what everyone I worked with called it (I didn't do it of course, lol) Seriously, studies show that being overstressed can lead to many physical illnesses- ulcers, heart disease and many other serious illnesses