How do you call in sick?

[Grindinghog]

What's the expectation or norm where you work?

Do you call, text, email?

I'll just email my lovely manager very thankful it is so casual after many years of working for a company that made you feel guilty for being ill and managers not allowed to show any concern about your well being.

DH WhatsApp messages his boss on his personal number. It's the only time he uses personal number, as it's guaranteed not to get missed.

I also have his boss's personal number. I've only used it to text in on behalf of DH who was having surgery.

Any sick leave in advance - eg. planned medical appointments, email or teams.

DH is WFH, so sick leave doesn't impact anyone as he isn't customer facing like colleagues.

Telephone in person to line manager. I think by 9am (only been there 6 weeks, and haven't been ill yet, so though i have read it, it didn'tlodge in my brain.)

I assume if you were unconscious in hospital, they'd accept some else calling, but usually it shoukd be you.

Previous job was also phone in person.

I'm shocked so many have to phone in. What about deaf people? How ableist.

Get someone you know to call and inform HR.

As a teacher I have to
phone my deputy by 7.30 and then send precise planning for the day including all work sheets. It is much easier to go in sick to be honest! Don’t phone in sick very often!!

I WhatsApp my boss, as we work at different times (me earlier so messaging via WhatsApp doesn't disturb her first thing). She follows up on Teams later in the day asking how I am.

We have a great relationship built on trust.

Presumably they will make reasonable adjustments and some use Relay.

Call reception explain briefly illness but also if you won’t be available (eg going back to bed) because manager will call you at some point. I’ll then email if I remember anything I need to be doing, but have case management that should highlight anything.

Just text my manager and say not feeling well I’ll let you know if I end up logging on later. And he’ll go “hope you’re feeling better” and log it for me. All this calling stuff sounds hard work when you’re ill!

Phone the Head within a specific 15min window and explain illness.

Text line manager. Inform support staff to cancel practicals.

Plan and upload work for cover staff, ideally with personal voiceover. Honestly, unless I'm on my deathbed I go in.

I have to phone the central number then I have to phone my department manager then I have to phone my line manager...none of whom are on duty at time of phoning in sick but I have to tell their counterpart for it to be passed on then I get phoned daily asking when I'll be back

NHS ward/unit so have to ring in no what’s app, teams or texting. Speak to the senior sister and then ring again later about the next day. Ring every day if no sick note.

What if they don't live with hearing people? Many deaf people end up with deaf partners. Imagine having to wake up or disturb a hearing neighbour so that they can phone for you before 9 or whatever

Presumably they will make reasonable adjustments and some use Relay

Many don't use relay or have a relay account - especially when we have text, email etc as alternatives

If a line manager is deaf then I'm sure reasonable adjustments would be put in place for some other means of communication about a direct report being off sick.

People saying they have to phone in are describing their company policy for which a reasonable adjustment hasn't been needed because their manager isn't deaf.

What if the deaf person is the employee who is sick?

I'm self-employed (dog walker) so pretty much never call in sick. If I can't manage walks, I'll message customers and do visits for any dogs home alone. If people are home with their dogs then I'll cancel.

There was one incident where I was too sick to even get out of bed, but "luckily" it fell on a Sunday so I messaged all my Monday customers to tell them, and they all had enough time to put alternative plans in place.

Well they should have a reasonable adjustment too. But that doesn't mean calls aren't appropriate for those with unimpaired hearing.

The deaf debate is a read herring.

These phoning in policies are unreasonable full stop.

Most people don’t phone in sick unless they genuinely feel awful. Some people on this thread are seemingly required to phone multiple people at unreasonable times in the morning and even complete tasks before they can begin their sick day. The clue is in the name - they are too ill to work.

Phoning in smacks of mistrust - whoever it was upthread who said it was cowardly not to is exactly the sort of person creating these toxic work cultures. It is clearly created as a policy to create barriers for having sick days because it’s an uncomfortable thing to have to do and many people struggle with making phone calls at the best of times.:.for what? So they can tell you yes or no? So you can prove you sound sick enough (even if you have broken your leg?).

I agree multiple calls, calling in with 15 mins and setting work are unfair. I don’t think calling in of itself is wrong. It works in my organization and means that if a manager is off sick or in a meeting gets through.

To teachers have the unions not campaigned about the unfairness of the level of work expected when a teacher is ill, at least before academics or those schools that still aren’t?

We're supposed to phone but I just send an email.

@Indiaorigin but most jobs aren’t so important that it really matters if they know now, or when they check their phone after a meeting. It makes sense I suppose for people like nurses when you obviously need people in, although I can’t see a reason why the people on hospital reception can’t check an admin inbox in the morning and alert the relevant department

My job isn't able to be done by someone who is deaf so it's fine to ask us to call in

I'd log in, email my manager, cancel/decline any meetings and email any urgent stuff to a colleague