The Chicago website CareerBuilder said its annual survey indicates 30 percent of workers have played hooky from work in the past year.

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The online survey of 3,976 U.S. workers and 2,494 hiring managers and human resources professionals, conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder by Harris Interactive, found 30 percent of respondents admitted calling in sick without an actual illness, while 31 percent of employers said sick calls increase during the winter holiday season.

The survey also found 29 percent of employers have attempted to verify an illness by requiring a doctor's note or phoning the worker later in the day. About 17 percent of responding employers said they have fired workers for faking being sick.