Cook County Jail Prepares For Blitz Of 'Sick Calls' During Super Bowl
CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Many businesses that will be open Sunday face a seasonal staffing problem known as "Super Bowl Fever" -- the Cook County Jail is among them.
Super Bowl Sunday is one of those days when huge numbers of Cook County Jail correctional officers historically have called in sick, leaving the Sheriff's Office to force other officers to stick around for overtime.
"Last year, we had approximately 350 staff that called in sick," Cook County Sheriff's Chief Policy Officer Cara Smith said.
Smith says the Sheriff's Office knows who may have abused those privileges in the past on Super Bowl Sunday, and that they're going to be warned ahead of time this year.
She also says some correctional officers call in sick in fear of being kept for overtime when other officers don't show up.