The IT project that's been on hold for months is now back on track. But some of your colleagues have been laid off, and you're feeling the pressure now that your workload is increasing. Plus, the company's cut back on your benefits.

Sound familiar?

It's especially common for IT workers to be stressed, experience burnout and feel undervalued for the job they do. And according to a recent survey by recruitment firm Robert Half Technology, employers are becoming increasingly aware that they may not be able to retain their staff members if that's what they're going through. In fact, 43 percent of CIOs who responded to the survey said staff retention would be their number-one staffing priority for the coming year.

Here are some of Robert Half's tips for retaining top employees:

1. Invest in professional development, such as online learning opportunities, mentoring programs and tuition reimbursement.
2. Provide opportunities for career advancement – room for promotions and growth.
3. Communicate regularly with staff by establishing an open-door policy.
4. Consider compensation, whether that be salary increases, or if that's impossible, spot bonuses after a major project has been completed or the team has accomplished something noteworthy.
5. Promote work-life balance through flexible schedules or telecommuting options.

You can view the rest of the tips here.

So what's the stress level like at your workplace? And is your employer showing any signs of reaching out to existing workers in order to make sure they don't experience burnout?

With all the discussion we've had in the last while about sick days, the reality remains that some employees will call in sick even if they're not. Absenteeism is still a big problem, even though presenteeism is on the rise.

I came across a recent survey by CareerBuilder that looked at 2009's most unusual excuses for missing work. And would you believe it...nearly one-third of employees surveyed admitted to calling in sick when they were perfectly fine.

Interesting thing is, 28 percent of employers thought employees are giving fake excuses because they're facing increased stress and burnout because of the recession. No surprise there. And I'm sure those in the tech field are among the most stressed-out employees out there.

Here are just a few of the excuses that made the "most unusual" list:

• "I got sunburned at a nude beach and can't wear clothes."
• "My buddies locked me in the trunk of an abandoned car after a weekend of drinking."
• "My mom said I was not allowed to go to work today."
• "A random person threw poison ivy in my face and now I have a rash."
• "I was injured chasing a seagull."

But beware: managers aren't dumb. From the responses to the survey, we can safely assume that some of them might check up on you (29 percent), and then:

• require a doctor's note (70 percent);
• call you at home (52 percent);
• ask another worker to call you at home (18 percent);
• drive by your house (17 percent); or
• fire you for missing work without a real excuse (15 percent).

So...what is the best excuse you've provided for a missed work day? And have you ever been questioned...or caught?

A bit of good news for those of you who are among the many Americans whose employers don't offer sick days: there are a few pieces of legislation that have been introduced over the last few months to try to rectify that.

The most recent one – just tabled last week – is the Emergency Influenza Containment Act, temporary legislation that would provide up to five paid sick days for full- or part-timers who have been sent home or have been ordered to remain home by their employer because of a contagious illness, such as H1N1.

The bill isn't perfect, though....There are some obvious loopholes that could negate the whole point of having the law in the first place (read the article to find out more). The House Education and Labor Committee is supposed to hold a hearing on the legislation during the week of November 16.

There's also the Healthy Families Act (originally introduced in 2005 and then re-introduced this year), which, if passed, would require businesses with 15 or more employees to provide up to seven days of paid sick leave each year.

If you live in San Francisco, Milwaukee or Washington, D.C., you're in luck: those cities already have laws requiring paid sick leave.

I must say, though: all of this is fine, as long as you don't have a boss who would threaten or bully you, even in subtle ways, because you chose to stay at home sick and not spread your germs. Unfortunately, I've already had a few readers write in and tell me some of their horror stories (which, frankly, made me ill).

Seriously, if employers expect workers to never get sick, or to come into work and function at 100 percent when they've got the flu, why don't they just hire robots? Seems as though that's all they want (at least some of them).

After my post last week about the importance of staying at home if you're ill, one of my readers pointed out to me that he can't take sick days because he doesn't actually get any.

I did a little digging and found out that, in fact, something like 40 percent of the private-sector workforce in the U.S. is unable to take paid leave without notifying their employer in advance. Of those who do get sick leave, some are punished for taking it by receiving "demerit points" every time they miss a day. Accumulation of a certain number of points could result in termination in some companies.

Workers earning wages on the lower end of the scale tend to be the most affected – they have to choose between staying at home and not spreading germs, or coming into work even if they're contagious so they can make this month's rent, pay for groceries, or even keep their job.

But temp workers and independent contractors, including those working in the IT field, are also affected, as employers are not obligated to offer sick days or other benefits to those workers either.

I'm curious: How many of you who are working in the technology field are not entitled to paid sick leave? And of those of you who are able to take time off due to illness, are you discouraged from doing so?