I just came across a blog post by Margery Weinstein on BNET titled “Late Because…” which I think you’ll get a kick out of reading. It’s about how people make up excuses (lies) for coming late to work or not coming at all. One company turned this into a contest which I think is very creative.
Since the phony excuse (ate bad sushi last night anyone?) is unavoidable, how about making a game out of it? Give workers 10 to 15 days which they can use for either personal or sick days. Then ask them to come up with the most creative story they can think of when they call in. Legally you probably can’t require them to do this, but give them an incentive by making into a contest in which awards are given quarterly for the best tardy/need-to-be-absent lie.
I previously posted about the icebreaker/ group energizer I use called “The Lying Game” in which I make an argument for giving people the permission to lie as a way to unleash creativity.
Here’s the link. The Lying Game
Tom Tiernan
