I've done it for many games, not too often though. The first game I ever called in sick to work for was Landstalker on the Sega Genesis. I just couldn't put it down. Now I frequently leave work early or take half a day for major releases. I put in a lot of time and my management let's me do what I like as long as I don't abuse the privledge and keep producing.
It's safe to say that I will NOT be at work on November 9.......