Your Genes May Predispose You to Claiming Too Many Sick Days

A study of more than 2,000 Swedish twins reveals that people’s approval or disapproval of everyday dishonest behaviors has a genetic component, says a team led by Peter J. Loewen of the University of Toronto. For example, genes accounted for 26% of the research participants’ views on the acceptability of illicitly avoiding taxes and 42.5% of their attitudes toward claiming unnecessary sick leave. Other factors affecting the participants’ attitudes included their individual experiences and environments, the researchers say.