How Can People Call In Sick All The Time???!!!

[azgal81]

I think if you are really sick you should call in sick and not come ot work. We have this one lady who works here that calls in sick at least every other week. It has gotten so bad that we can predict when she is going to be out. For example, everytime she goes on vacation she always calls in sick the day she is supposed to be sick. I don't believe she is sick all this times I don't know too many people that can be sick with a "cold" 4 days every month.

I never call in sick. I feel horrible they are counting on me to be there so I feel I need to be. Plus I have so much work to do if I'm sick I'll fall behind. I have so much sick time saved up so I guess if I got really sick it would be okay.

It's one thing to call in becaue you are actually sick and then it's another to call in because you don't feel like going into work today.

 

[RadioFanatic]

I don't get why "cramps" are not a legitimate excuse. I have endometriosis...before treatment I spent one day a month laying in bed crying hoping to die so the pain would end.

I'm right there with you - usually I force myself to go to work; but people know not to talk to me. Thankfully, I get lucky most of the time and it falls on a weekend.

OTOH, I have a coworker who used to be a great worker but lately is calling in "sick" a lot. It's hard b/c I no longer believe her when she states the reason she is out. First it's her, then her son, then her dad . . . It's sad b/c some of it could be very true, but it's hard to believe with all of the excuses. And there is somewhat of a coincidence in that she has called in "sick" on some days, the day after her boss tells her when she did something wrong. As a result, I have added weekends, sleepless nights and coming into work at crazy hours to make up what I have lost with her not doing her work. it's really getting me down.

 

[Marseeya]

I don't get why "cramps" are not a legitimate excuse. I have endometriosis...before treatment I spent one day a month laying in bed crying hoping to die so the pain would end.

I know!

I don't have endometriosis (I don't think anyway), but on my second day I have horrible cramps to where I just want to curl up and die. I also feel as if the life has completely drained from me. I also have problems with ovulation. The day before, I start getting sharp stabbing pains on one side. I can live with that. The day of, the pain is so bad that there have been times when I've wanted to call an ambulance, but then it passes within an hour. From then until the next day, I feel as if I've been hit by a truck.

 

[Rajah]

Sorry to go OT here, but does it ever make you throw up? Now that I'm on the pill I don't have those problems anymore but I used to. Why on earth would it make you throw up? It never made sense to me as to how that could happen but since it happened I know it can.

Yup. Used to do that to me almost every month when I was in high school and early college. Once I got on the pill, that and the cramps mostly stopped. I've since *stopped* taking the pill for other reasons, and the cramps have made me throw up once since I've stopped, and nearly so another half a dozen times.

I don't understand it either.

 

[I_Know_You2!]

I get four occurences a year before the warning process starts. (occurence is total sick time of one or more days in a row).

We lose those days if we don't use them. I use all four occurences every year.

Why not? There's nothing special for not being absent, I'm not sick a lot, so I use them for "rest" days.

I suspect that you were given just a few too many rewards as a child, now weren't you? You have to earn something "special" for doing your job?

 

[vivilasvegas]

I suspect that you were given just a few too many rewards as a child, now weren't you? You have to earn something "special" for doing your job?

No, I do my job just fine, but thanks for asking. In fact, I got the best review in our office.

No one has to cover for me when I call off, I do my work when I get back, if I'm even behind.

I see no problem with calling in 4 times a year if it doesn't interfere with my job or anyone else's.

Obviously, you don't know me very well...

 

[Poohnatic]

Exactly, Michelle. I've had cramps bad enough at times that I couldn't eat, or couldn't move unless I wanted to end up throwing up. I hate it when people who *don't* suffer from cramps automatically assume that everyone uses that as just an excuse.

Tammi, the thing is, I DO have a problem with them and am on meds for them. After a while, you get a feel for your employees who really are having an issue and the ones who aren't.

Suzanne

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

My husband has worked at his company for 20years. I truly mean this. He has never called in sick!! He has never missed one day. He takes every overtime work that comes up. He is a very hard worker. You don't find people like this today. I work parttime. I have gone into work sick and left. I will always make an attempt. I work in a cash office. If I'm not there the managers don't know my job. I will at least come in and do the cash office then leave.

 

[jennobrn01]

First of all, it is always assumed in a hospital that when someone calls out that they are not really sick, but taking a "mental health day". I've worked in a hospital for 23 years, and I know that attitude is rampant among management when a staff nurse calls out. Unless you are brought into your hospital's ER on a stretcher boarded and collared after rolling your car twice and hitting a Jersey barrier, management is going to assume you are calling out but aren't really sick. Sometimes it's true that the person is not really sick. But sometimes the person really is sick. And there is a huge difference between feeling lousy but you're at home and can relax so it's not that bad, and feeling lousy when you know you have to work for 12 hours under the conditions that most staff nurses work under these days. Feeling lousy on a 12 hour shift makes you feel really lousy really quickly. And quite frankly, at least in my hospital, no one is giving you a medal, a bonus, an extra personal day, 4 extra personal hours, or for that matter, even a "thank you" for coming to work every day, even if you're sick...as a matter-of-fact, if you are a person who doesn't call out sick a lot, you end up paying the price by having to work extra hard to cover those who do call out. And, those who do call out get the exact same benefits as you!!!! And don't get in trouble. And get rehired after they are fired for calling out!!! So what is the incentive there not to call out if you don't feel well????? There is no incentive

Hear Hear!!


Ok, here is a real life dilema I am experiencing right now. Feel free to give your advice.

I work tomorrow night 7p-7a (yup I am a RN). Dh will be unexpectedly out of state. I have called every available RN on my unit to ask to cover for me except for 2 that I know will not help me. I do have an offer for childcare, but would really prefer not to use it. I am upset, and anxious.

What would you do? What would you expect? Tell me, and then I'll tell you what I have decided.

 

[Pin Wizard]

She's 22. Need we say more? I'd hope she'd be more responsible seeing the profession she's in, but I guess not. It certainly does impact patient care!!

 

[C.Ann]

"The Terminator" at my last job actually called and fired one of the receptionists while she was in the hospital in intensive care recovering from a near fatal car accident..

He let me go because I had double pneumonia and the doctors refused to okay my going back to work in "3 days"..

Real sweet guy.. Gotta love Karma though - last I heard, "The Terminator" was terminated himself..

Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for people to be out sick and I don't think it's the employees responsibility to make sure that the company is running on more than a skeleton crew to begin with.. It isn't logical to assume that "no one" is ever going to get sick, get in an accident or whatever, so basically it boils down to poor planning on the employers part..

Oh - and my DH? He worked 38 years without ever taking a day off..