To want to throw a sickie and spend it at leisure?

[MargotMoon]

Just that, really. Work is stressful, home life is stressful. I never get the house to myself, and when I do I spend it cleaning only for it to be trashed again within minutes. I feel like clearing my work diary for a day some time next week, dropping the kids at school, phoning in sick and then going back to bed with my kindle and a multipack of crisps. Or maybe booking a spa day, so I don't end up just doing laundry or something.

I'd get caught, wouldn't I? :-(

Nothing wrong with taking a mental health day.It sounds like you need it. And it will do you the world of good

Most of us could do with a day to recharge now and then. With the usual proviso that your job isn't, say, a surgeon, Head of state or chef in charge of my jaffa cake supplies then the world of work will still turn if you take a very rare duvet day. So many of us are quietly trying to keep our multiple plates spinning - juggling work/home commitments as well as practical/emotional wellbeing of family and friends. So maybe a universal MN duvet day should be added to the working calendar?

I wouldn't because I would be worried about not having the leave available for when someone is actually sick.

However, I do occasionally burn a day of annual leave to do this.

For me it is a video game, chips and beer kind of day. Always feel very refreshed!

Is unpaid leave an option if necessary? Either to make this happen, or if you burn an annual leave day to cover childcare later?

Given what you've now said about your work situation, and if you otherwise have a good sick record, I'd take the sickie. Don't do it on a Friday or Monday though. Midweek is ideal. You'll probably be more productive at work afterwards as a result.

I think the days of feeling loyalty towards your company are over. You may feel loyal to your colleagues, and if you pull a sickie it could screw them over, but the company? Nah.

But I work for a company who doesn't care about its employees : if it was a small family business as mentioned above, who would probably treat its staff properly, and the staff would return the courtesy, I'd feel differently.

I find that if you are feeling stressed/tired or just generally overwhelmed then this often manifests itself in slight physical symptoms. Then I focus on them, whatever they are, until I have built them up in my head to be actual ailments and then I can call in sick (leaving aside small businesses, over worked colleagues etc) guilt free!
Otherwise definitely ask for an unpaid days leave. You will not even notice one day from your salary I reckon.

I'm in Oz, and I get ten personal days a year (as well as my annual leave). These can be used as sick days, or for emergency childcare, or whatever, you don't even have to give a reason. I think its a much more civilised system , every one has days when you just can't take one more thing, and why should you have to lie about a stomach bug or whatever.