It’s tempting. You’ve already taken your vacation and still don’t feel like you’ve had enough R&R. Or, it’s the first day of real fall weather, with a cool breeze and Crayola blue skies, and you can’t bear the thought of spending your day confined in an office. The kids may have something spectacular planned at school, like performing in a play or baseball game, and you’d rather not miss it. Or maybe it’s something else—the inner longing for being a responsibility-free human, when you could live and do as you pleased, that causes you to play hooky from work.
The magical swirl of guilt and freedom reminds you of being a teen sneaking out of your parent’s house at night to meet a new boyfriend or girlfriend—random excitement and exhilaration! And then, just like a teenager, you spend the entirety of your day screening phone calls and limiting computer usage to make sure you don’t get caught. Suddenly, as you’re rummaging for clothes, you see your boss, and she sees you. Then what?
Playing Hooky—A Common Escape
Playing hooky from work is something that everybody does—or at least should do. Obviously, in today’s economic climate, you have to take precautions before you just call in sick. It’s not advised to do it on a day when you know the big boss will be in town or when the entire office is collaborating on a huge project. However, if you go about things the right way, it can be a vital recharging tool that will have you appreciating your life a little bit more. Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the to-do lists of life and forget how nice it is to just be. Yet, like all things as an adult, you have to be careful.
The Digital Dilemma
Today’s technological market has gotten plenty of people into trouble while playing hooky from work. Video and camera phones, Skype, email, and, of course, platforms like Twitter and Facebook can make your entire life an open-faced sandwich to the world. If you call your boss and report that you’re sick, then post on Facebook or Twitter about the fish you caught, you’re bound to get in trouble. While you might not get fired, you can ruin your professional reputation, and the higher-ups in your office might start questioning your personal integrity. Career suicide is never a good move.
If you’re playing hooky for work under a false pretense, like a death in the family or a strange illness, you should do whatever it takes to maintain a low profile. Zipping out and about, socializing online, and returning to work with an amazing tan are not great ways to play hooky from your day job.
The Root of the Need to Lie
This brings up the question of why so many responsible, boss-fearing adults feel compelled to lie just to get a day off work. In many business environments today, time off is just that—time off. You can take it when you need it, when you schedule it, and use it for both sick and vacation days. If you’ve earned it, then why not use it as you wish? Yet, in a random poll for Business Week, as many as 96% of people admitted to lying to their boss to get a day off from work.
From a boss’s standpoint, it would be easier to just be honest and plan your day off so you’re not leaving the office high and dry without your assistance. In many ways, playing hooky from work responsibly would have fewer negative consequences. But, it wouldn’t be as exciting as sneaking around the house all day.
The Example You Set
Another thing to consider is how much of your playing hooky you want to divulge to your family members. If your teens see that mom and dad are lying to the boss so they can go out and play golf all day, they’ll feel less guilty about playing hooky from school. (Sometimes, being a parent stinks.) Additionally, if you have a level of authority at your job, you’re responsible for being a good example to your employees. Think about how you’d feel if they called in sick and weren’t. That can take the fun out of playing hooky altogether.
In the balance of things, we all have a certain level of responsibility to live up to. Still, while most people know the risks—realizing they might get in trouble or even fired—the bulk of society plays hooky from time to time under false pretenses. If you’re careful and stay out of the public paper trail, then it doesn’t matter how guilty your co-workers think you are. If they can’t prove you were out diving or playing golf, then who cares, right?
Conclusion: A Necessary Break
Playing hooky from work will probably continue—and for good reason. Every once in a while, there isn’t a person in this world who doesn’t need a surprise break from the big, bad routine of life. There isn’t a person who works that doesn’t need a day to regroup, or one who’s suffering from a hangover so severe that facing the fluorescent lights in the office just isn’t an option.
However, whether you have paid time off, sick days, or vacation days, you should do your best to plan them so you don’t risk losing professional integrity in the eyes of your employer. Some days, playing hooky from work is the only option you have to regroup—but making it a habit and doing it out of ignorance could easily land you on the unemployment line.
