Calling out sick from work

[WDWJDS]

What is your employer’s policy/procedure on calling out sick from work?

I work at a medium sized hospital and the staff has to call the charge nurse at least three hours before the beginning of your shift. Sometimes it’s kind of awkward because it feels like you’re being assessed over the phone on how sick you really are .

When my sister worked for the IRS, she said that they didn’t have to even notify anyone that they weren’t coming in until they had been out sick for three days . I thought that was interesting.

I kind of wish that it could be done electronically (like almost everything else at my job).

What say you?

 

[RamblingMad]

I just text and try to do some work remotely. I’m not as productive as I usually rest in the afternoon. But I’m not totally out of the loop either.

 

[DuskKodesh]

I have to call my boss or HR and they prefer it to be three hours ahead but some people call just whenever they can and I have no choice but to call later. if my shift is at 6am there's no one there at 3am to answer the phone. It's generally treated as no big deal unless people make it a habit or it's during a really bad time like Black Friday or Thanksgiving.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I work in a office. I just email and say I'm not coming in. If I feel up to it and do check my email couple times through the day. Nothing else I can do remotely.

 

[Christine]

Well, I'm an office worker (federal government) so if I don't come in it's not like a patient suffers. But my policy is to call or email my supervisor at around my expected arrival time. I think "on paper" I have up to 2 hours after my expected arrival time to do so.

 

[bcla]

Depends on the employer I guess. I remember one of my early jobs the employer required we sign in a time sheet. The entering software was ancient and we had to use an emulator for the IBM entry system that they used. We were pretty much all salaried too, so technically we weren't paid hourly but had to account for 8 hour days. But all the sick time was already accrued and could be used. I just had to call in to my manager.

At another employer we literally got 5-6 weeks of paid time off per year regardless of reason. However, my manager and other employees specifically said nobody cared. Just let him know I wouldn't be coming in, and we wouldn't be using a sick day off and we could use all of it as vacation time. I'd never lie about being sick. Later we got 5 days per calendar year of specific sick time although my manager still didn't care; he didn't want to go through the paperwork.

At other employers I've simply called in and then accounted for it later. If it was too late for the filing cycle I would just account for it in the next pay period. For a consulting job where I was paid by the month, the company told me to just let them know and I could reasonably be expected not to be working when I was sick.

 

[aprilgail]

had to call off sick 2 hours prior to the start of your shift and had to call back on 2 hours prior to the shift they day you were returning.

 

[BrianL]

I can pretty much do it whenever early in the day. They actually prefer that if we do use the PTO that we do not work at all.

 

[AuntieMe3]

I work in a small preschool/childcare so there is no calling out. Unless I can get a coworker to work for me, I have to go to work. It really sucks sometimes. I'm pretty flexible with coming in for coworkers but they aren't so much for me.

 

[dclpluto]

Call the security guard at least one hour ahead of time.

 

[DietCoke18]

We have a sick box we call out too. They would prefer it’s before your shift starts but there is. No rule about it

 

[piglet1979]

I work in an in an office. I just need to let my manager know. I usually text him no later then 7 since that is when I usually come in. If not he would get worried that I was not in. I just add the PTO when I am back in the office.

 

[Vicki926]

We do it online(all school staff). It’s all automated, subs pick up jobs the same way. I think it has to be in by 6:30am. School starts at 8:30. If for some reason I didn’t put it in because I didn’t know I would need a sick day until after that time, I would just call the school secretary and tell her.
I do text the teacher I work with to let her know, and she texts me if she’s out, out of courtesy.

 

[BrianL]

I so wanted to call in with a case of "disneyplusitis" today!

 

[violina]

I work remote, though with my career, this has been a standardized way of approaching it. Send out an Out of Office (sick) email to your teams, be sure to provide notes on what needs to be covered (or if nothing has to be covered) so the teams can pick up where you left off for items due that day. Set up an automatic reply about your OOO on that day for your inbox and put up a notice on your Slack. Assure your manager is CC'd on the email -- generally you don't need to message them directly unless they weren't on the email.

 

[Heather07438]

I work in a small preschool/childcare so there is no calling out. Unless I can get a coworker to work for me, I have to go to work. It really sucks sometimes. I'm pretty flexible with coming in for coworkers but they aren't so much for me.

That does suck Being around the kids exposes you to more illness so there should be a built-in and reasonable way to handle sick days without upsetting the employee balance. Bet the parents would 'love' to hear how it's not easy for sick employees to stay home and not spread things to the back to the kids.

On the plus side, you've probably built up a strong immune system

 

[leebee]

I'm out sick right now. I manage the organic chemistry labs at the University and also teach one of the lab sections. I have to be in the building when labs are in session, to monitor the sections, replenish missing/broken items, and "put out fires" as I used to call it (until we actually HAD a fire in one of the labs that I had to put out.. now it's not so funny). Anyhow... I am on IV antibiotics for an infection so once diagnosed I knew I'd be out all week. It's basically up to me to make sure my responsibilities are covered for the time I'm out. I had to find a TA to cover my lab section this morning, make arrangements for someone to physically be present in the prep room when there are labs the rest of the week, and send a detailed document outlining what someone needs to do for each day for the rest of the week to do what I'd normally do. It's a pain, and it took me about 4 hours to get everything in place. However, labs and classes go on even if faculty/staff are out sick, so arrangements must be made for coverage.

 

[Christine]

I'm out sick right now. I manage the organic chemistry labs at the University and also teach one of the lab sections. I have to be in the building when labs are in session, to monitor the sections, replenish missing/broken items, and "put out fires" as I used to call it (until we actually HAD a fire in one of the labs that I had to put out.. now it's not so funny). Anyhow... I am on IV antibiotics for an infection so once diagnosed I knew I'd be out all week. I had to find a TA to cover my lab section this morning, make arrangements for someone to physically be present in the prep room when there are labs the rest of the week, and send a detailed document outlining what someone needs to do for each day for the rest of the week to do what I'd normally do. It's a pain, and it took me about 4 hours to get everything in place. However, labs and classes go on even if faculty/staff are out sick, so arrangements must be made for coverage.

Oh wow, hope you feel better soon! IV antibiotics sound serious!!

 

[fla4fun]

I work in a small preschool/childcare so there is no calling out. Unless I can get a coworker to work for me, I have to go to work. It really sucks sometimes. I'm pretty flexible with coming in for coworkers but they aren't so much for me.

I work in the travel industry, but it’s basically the same. I have to call around (I have to be in at 6am, so this means calling people on their day off between 4:30-5:00am) and once I have someone scheduled to cover my shift THEN I can call in sick. Needless to say, I have never called in sick, especially on the weekend. No one wants to cover a Saturday or Sunday unless it involves a hospital and an ambulance. It’s hard enough to arrange vacation time, and I have a lot of lead time on that. I can’t imagine what it’s like to just call in.

 

[disneychrista]

I think I am supposed to call my boss and let her know I won't be in.

I haven't called in sick for at least 3 or 4 years and never for this job.