The guy could be a tie-wearing cherub who encourages you to take sick days if our insultingly miserly concessionary vacation policy doesn't provide for any kind of life, but rumors are rumors.

Honestly, if the company doesn't want to expend tons of effort and resources policing people's sick calls, they should just give a reasonable amount of vacation. I can walk into any $55k/yr generic office job and have two weeks of vacation right off the bat (prorated to hire date). Same as any moderately educated person who can pass a background check these days.