Why Employees Lie About Sick Leave and What HR Can Do About It

In many workplaces, honesty and transparency are pillars of a healthy culture. Yet when it comes to time off, particularly for health-related reasons, a startling number of employees are choosing deception over disclosure. According to a recent survey from TEAM Software, more than one in five Gen Z employees admitted to faking a physical illness to cover for a mental health day.

This isn’t simply a case of dishonesty; it’s a symptom of broader systemic issues in how organizations handle sick leave, mental health, and employee well-being. When workers need to fabricate symptoms just to step away from their desks, it raises urgent questions about policy, trust, and the psychological safety within our organizations.

Why Employees Don’t Just Say They’re Sick

According to the report, more than half (54%) of Americans say they couldn’t afford a week of unpaid sick leave without falling behind on essential expenses. And 67% say they’ve worked while sick in the past year. These two data points reveal a workforce squeezed by financial pressure and plagued by job insecurity. It’s not that employees don’t get sick; they don’t feel safe or supported enough to admit it.

For younger employees, calling in sick feels risky. Gen Z workers report the highest rates of judgment from peers and supervisors for taking time off, and 15% say they’ve already been fired or pushed out for using sick leave. That’s a career-threatening consequence for something as basic as getting the flu or taking a mental health day to prevent burnout.

This fear is exacerbated by unclear policies, lack of paid leave, and cultural signals that reward “toughing it out.” In fact, only 3% of employees cited clear sick leave policies as a barrier, which suggests that ambiguity and inconsistency in enforcement may be more detrimental than strict rules.

The Rise of “Secret Sick Days”

When employees can’t be honest about why they need a break, they get creative. Some invent physical ailments to justify mental health breaks. Others use vague or acceptable excuses, such as a family emergency, to sidestep the stigma of “just being burned out.”

One particularly troubling finding is that over a quarter of Americans have paid out of pocket to obtain a doctor’s note or other documentation just to validate a sick day. Among Gen Z workers, that number jumps to 52%. This transactional approach to health places a disproportionate burden on younger, lower-income workers who may lack access to affordable healthcare or flexible leave.

The situation creates a no-win scenario. Workers are forced to choose between honesty and job security, between their health and their paycheck. In doing so, they often perpetuate the very burnout they’re trying to escape.

Key Drivers Behind the Sick Leave Dishonesty

Several overlapping factors drive this trend of lying about time off:

• Financial insecurity: 26% of workers say missing just a couple of unpaid days would affect their ability to afford groceries or pay bills.
• Fear of judgment: Nearly half (45%) feel judged for taking sick time, and 22% fear being seen as unreliable.
• Job pressure: A full 26% of workers report that the dread of returning to a backlog of work discourages them from taking time off.
• Policy confusion: Many employers have vague or poorly communicated sick leave policies, contributing to anxiety about how much time off is acceptable.

These pressures not only push employees to fake illnesses, but they also increase the likelihood of presenteeism, where workers come in while ill, risking the spread of contagious diseases and further degrading productivity.

The Employer’s Role in Rewriting the Narrative

The data paints a clear picture: many employees don’t feel they can trust their employers with the truth. However, this is a fixable problem if companies are willing to reframe how they view time off and put supportive systems in place.

Start by removing the ambiguity. A well-communicated sick leave policy should define not only how many days are available but also what kinds of reasons are acceptable and what documentation is required. For example, offering flexible mental health days as a separate leave category can reduce the need for employees to fabricate physical illness.

Next, consider the financial structure. Many workers aren’t afraid to take time off; they’re afraid they can’t afford to. If full paid sick leave isn’t feasible, partial pay or flexible work-from-home options may bridge the gap.

Finally, model the behavior from the top. When leaders openly take time off for mental or physical health and talk about it without shame, they create a culture of permission. Employees will be more honest and more resilient when it becomes clear that rest is respected, not punished.

Creating a Culture Where Truth Isn’t a Liability

It’s tempting to dismiss a lie about a sick day as a minor offense. But for HR leaders and hiring managers, it’s a warning sign. A high-trust, high-performance workplace cannot thrive when employees feel compelled to lie about their well-being.

Addressing this issue is about reshaping the relationship between employer and employee. The most successful organizations are those where people can show up as their full selves, including when they need to step away to rest, heal, or reset.

It’s time to make space for honesty, because the cost of silence is far greater than a day off.