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10 most unbelievable excuses for calling in sick to work
Out Sick
Employers heard some interesting reasons for their employees missing work in 2014, according to an annual report from CareerBuilder. A survey of more than 5,000 workers and hiring managers found that 28 percent of employees called in sick to work on a day when they felt perfectly fine. - photo by istockphoto.com/killerb10
Natalie Crofts
Deseret News National
Updated: Oct 28, 2014, 3:00 PM
Published: Oct 27, 2014, 1:54 PM

If you’ve ever wanted to call in sick to work without a legitimate reason, you’re not the only one.

Employers heard some interesting reasons for their employees missing work in 2014, according to an annual report from CareerBuilder. A survey of more than 5,000 workers and hiring managers found that 28 percent of employees called in sick to work on a day when they felt perfectly fine.

Of those who decided to call in sick for reasons other than illness, 30 percent reported that they “just didn’t feel like going to work” and another 29 percent said they “wanted the day to relax.”

However, taking time off under false pretenses can be risky. The study found that one in four employers had caught an employee faking sick through social media.

Most employers settled for reprimanding the employee, but 22 percent used it as grounds for firing.

Thirty-one percent of employers reported checking in on an employee’s reasons for missing work by asking for a doctor's note, calling the employee or even driving past their employee’s home.

The 10 "most unbelievable" excuses for 2014, according to CareerBuilder:

1. Employee just put a casserole in the oven.

2. Employee's plastic surgery for enhancement purposes needed some "tweaking" to get it just right.

3. Employee was sitting in the bathroom and her feet and legs fell asleep. When she stood, up she fell and broke her ankle.

4. Employee had been at the casino all weekend and still had money left to play with on Monday morning.

5. Employee woke up in a good mood and didn't want to ruin it.

6. Employee had a "lucky night" and didn't know where he was.

7. Employee got stuck in the blood pressure machine at the grocery store and couldn't get out.

8. Employee had a gall stone they wanted to heal holistically.

9. Employee caught their uniform on fire by putting it in the microwave to dry.

10. Employee accidentally got on a plane.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.