CHICAGO — Chicago’s main jail had to be placed on lockdown recently after more than 200 employees didn’t show up for the day shift.
The reason? It was Mother’s Day.
Eighty-six employees at the Cook County Jail called in sick, while 120 took the day off under the Family Medical Leave Act, according to the Chicago Tribune.
About 25 per cent of the staff for the second shift also called in sick. The “extraordinary” number of absent workers puts extra pressure on the other jail workers, said a statement from the sheriff’s office.
“We continue to find ways to curb the absenteeism, but we have very few tools in the toolbox,’’ said spokesperson Cara Smith.
The same trend was seen last year on Mother’s Day, when 20 per cent of the workforce failed to appear.
