What's a good sick excuse to use for sickie day from work?

[SummersBreeze]

I'm looking for a sick day from work.

What's a good excuse/made up illness for a sickie?

Thanks

It's illegal to be working so many days straight without a break - you may want to remind your boss about that instead of pulling a sickie.

I don't have any objection to pulling the odd sickie btw - but in this case you need to address how many days you're expected in in a row.

One of my staff called in once because she had to help her aunt and uncle polish the dance floor
They had recently taken over running a social club

Just be honest - ‘the reason I’d asked not to be put on shift on xxx day is because my mental health isn’t great right now and a long stint of shifts like that is going to make me ill. I don’t want to go off sick with stress so I need a break in the middle of these shifts please’

if your manager still refuses, then you warned them. Call them mid way through your stint of shifts and say ‘as suspected I’m struggling and I’m going to have to take a couple of days sick leave to recover, I’m not sleeping and in no fit state to work’

if you go off sick for a day you’ve requested off and been refused, it’s going to look terrible. However if you explain the above, you’re ignored and THEN go off sick, then you tried to warn them, were ignored and ended up in the situation you’d tried to avoid in the first place. Looks a lot less like skiving!

I had one guy call in sick saying he was paralytic. I'm in Scotland where that's a term for extremely drunk. Luckily he was South African and that wasn't the reason.

Being I'll is a good excuse.

Otherwise it's annual leave.

I am presuming OP that you have not got a genuine reason for wanting to take a sick day, as you would surely have had enough sense, and been polite enough, to at least give us a hint about it?

eg. My DC was awake being sick for most of the night and we are now both exhausted, but unfortunately I haven't got any holiday left for this year. Can anyone please suggest a reason I could give my work for having a sick day, that will be pretty much foolproof, and that I won't have to answer a lot of questions about?

As it is at the moment OP, you sound like a CF, and you also sound very rude to those of us mumsnetters with principles, as the way you phrased your question made it sound as if you believe all of us to be just as much CF's as you appear to be.

This is very believable, the pain can be excruciating and needing immediate attention.

It’s not illegal at all - you can work 7 days a week every week should you wish. The EWTD has an opt out that most shift workers are obliged to sign at the start of their employment. Also, she doesn’t mention how many hours she’s working in that time. It’s perfectly possible to work under 48 hours per week and not have a day off.

and think about your colleagues who will have to pick up the slack whilst you skive off

I wouldn’t pull a sickie. But the work schedule they have put you on sounds ridiculous. Next day off 2nd July?!

Does anyone else at your workplace get this treatment, or are you being singled out?

Getting paid for a sick day! Oh how the other half lives

I'm entitled to sick days and I am far too honest by never taking them.

1. They are called "sick days" and you are entitled to them when you are sick
2. Since when did "honest" mean going in when you are sick and lying to take a day off when you aren't?

I'd rather one of my colleagues took one sick day than ended up going off for a month with stress. That's happened a couple of times where I work and it's a management issue of course but one that's never addressed. There are four of us doing the work of 6 people, actually there were 7 when I started, we just get busier and busier and busier. And if one sick day helps a colleague come back in the next day ready for another 'run' doing the work of 1.5 people (conservatively!) then I get it.

Also, your sick leave is looked at for increments and eligibility for transfers / promotions et cetera. So we all know this.

Sick can mean sick of this place arghghghghghgh and one day's distance from the madness can give you the energy to dust yourself down and go back in for more the next day.

In the last 5 years I've done it mad and both times, I wasn't physically ill but I could sense I was getting close to losing it. I told one woman ''i haven't got TIME to do that'' and from her pov, what she was asking was reasonable.

I think management need to be reminded that their staff is only human.

Having read the OPs reason why she wants the day off...

She needs to sort this out properly. Otherwise the employer is likely to carry on trying to impose completely unreasonable schedules. 'Pulling a sickie' puts the OP in the wrong, whereas it sounds like the employer is wrong.

Not necessarily if she doesn't get sick pay.

Hmm I once thought I would put a wash on before going into work . I didn't see the string from the bib hanging out the door . Flooded the kitchen . Work gone .

It’s not illegal at all - you can work 7 days a week every week should you wish.

Yep, but OP doesn't wish 🤷🏻‍♀️

The EWTD has an opt out that most shift workers are obliged to sign at the start of their employment.

Before going self-employed, I worked shifts for over a decade - I never signed out of anything related to the EWTD.

Also, she doesn’t mention how many hours she’s working in that time. It’s perfectly possible to work under 48 hours per week and not have a day off.

It's not just about hours worked - you're entitled to certain amounts of uninterrupted rest per week (24h in seven days, or 48 hours in a fortnight) along with a minimum of 11 hours break between working days.

In every place I’ve worked, taking a sick day off when you are not sick is a disciplinary offence.

A former employee in one job took the day of for a cold sore - it wasn’t even a customer facing role.

Sorry OP, I started this a couple of hours ago, fell asleep, and finished it off when I woke up, so I have only just seen your latest post, after posting mine.

Your excuse now sounds genuine enough, whether it is actually true or not. With hours like that I am wondering if you work for the NHS?

Anyway, D&V seems to be the best excuse to fit your circumstances, but don't then get caught out by being seen outside, or on social media.

@SummersBreeze 12 days in a row with no break is too much. I don't blame you tbh.

I'd be careful saying anything about ''mental health'' that could lead to ''can you cope with this promotion/project/responsibility?'' type ponderings from your line managers.

I'd go with migraine.

The problem is, now she's going to think you're pulling a fast one because she pulled one on you by scheduling you in. When you saw she'd put you in after you'd said no, you'd have been better to just tell her "I told you I couldn't work, I have plans on Saturday" surely?

Can all the utter wankers pulling sickies by saying they have a migraine please pack it in?

It's people like you with "ooh I can't be arsed to go to work - wait I'll tell them it's a migraine" that ruin it for those of us who actually suffer migraine. We are ignored, disbelieved and frequently discriminated against in the workplace as a result.

Migraine is an incurable and often lifelong disease. It is the most common neurological disease in the world. Chronic migraine is also considered to be as debilitating and disabling as more visible conditions (including paralysis) due to the effects on people like me.

So either suck it up and go to work or have the decency to call in and ask for annual leave.

@Woolandwonder beat me to it.

This is why, as chronic migraine sufferers we don't get taken seriously. You wouldn't "pull a sickie" with another chronic disease so why fake migraine?

I suffer through work most days and take sick days when I absolutely cannot work.

Take annual leave.

i think you need a discussion about your rota rather than a sick day
get someone to swap with you

@RedCarsGoFaster 🙌🏻 I didn't read your post. I was too angry to read pages of "migraine".
Well said. Hope your good days are many.