Has anyone stopped to read the back of a fairly recently launched vitamin water drink from Coca-Cola? My years in packaged goods design means that I do get drawn into reading all the print on these new products. I was pretty surprised to read this copy on the back of the bottle:

“If you’ve had to use sick days because you’ve actually been sick, then you’re seriously missing out my friend. The trick is to stay perky and use sick days to just, erm, not go in. Don’t overdo it on the coughing front the day before you want to take a ‘sickie’ though. Big giveaway. Just stick with the ever-elusive ‘24-hour bug’ – no one can prove a thing. Just remember not to answer the mobile while shopping when you’re supposed to be a spluttering, bedridden wreck. Please note: taking a ‘sickie’ is very, very naughty.”

Are you, like me, increasingly irritated by the media's reference to "throwing sickies"? It is so irresponsible for companies to promote this kind of “aren’t we naughty?” type message. If they had any respect for people who are genuinely sick, or any understanding of the impact of sickies on our industry, they would think twice.

Or should we be looking at this trend and thinking: "Okay, how do I make my business so interesting and motivating that people don't think of behaving in this way?" If your company has a problem with sickness absence levels, how are you actively looking for the underlying causes?

I particularly admire companies in which the vast proportion of employees have jobs that are pretty repetitive and lack a huge scope for advancement, yet they still manage to keep people totally engaged with their purpose and don't suffer with the sickie mentality. Take a look at Zappos in the USA - an online retailer of shoes and bags with a massively engaged workforce - impressive stuff. I have referred to them before for their innovative way of making sure that nobody who is not positive about the company stays past induction – a bonus to leave!

Coke – shame on you. Try to write some witty copy lines that refer to health but also move with the times.