Cough! Belgians Love Sick Leave.

We always wondered why the Jobacle Sick Day Calendar was such a hit in Europe. They don't even have most of the same holidays, yet they've been downloading the thing like mad.

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article today on an epidemic in Belgium: sick leave abuse. Ah, now it's starting to make sense!

Belgians, like many Europeans, are entitled to extensive or even unlimited sick leave -- and they tend to stretch the definition of the word. One study showed government employees in droves were calling in sick to pack before vacations and to sleep off holiday hangovers. Some government departments were averaging 35 days of paid sick leave per employee each year, more than twice the national rate and seven times the U.S. average.

Read more here.

Comments

[Mike]

Lazy European bastards.

[Rocco]

So NOT surprising; typical West European wimps. And don't kid yourself, this weakkneed crap is endemic thruout France, Germany, Italy, England, etc. Just wonder what these cowards, lame and lazy will do when they get to live under Sharia law! Them maybe the USofA won't look so bad...

[Michele]

Why so harsh? Some people just want time to chill. It also takes the edge off feeling angry or ill used. You can use some time off yourself.