RIVERWOODS, Ill. – Work environments that boost employee morale may not only be fun but may also add to a credit union's bottom line. A recent CCH Incorporated survey finds that low morale has a high price tag. Overall, the 13th annual CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey, found that employers set aside an average of 4.4% of their budgets for absenteeism. When morale is factored in, however, results vary significantly. Organizations with Poor/Fair morale set aside 5.3% of their budgets to cover the costs of absent workers compared to 3.7% in organizations with Good/Very Good morale. In addition, the rate of unscheduled absenteeism is 17% percent higher among companies with Poor/Fair morale. While the overall rate of unscheduled absenteeism fell to an all-time low of 1.9% with the average annual cost to employers of last-minute no shows dropping to $645 per employee, most employees taking unscheduled time continue to do so for reasons other than actual illness.