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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How do you 'call in sick'?

98 replies

ItsBloodyFreezingg · 13/02/2019 20:36

I'm bored and ill in bed.

I've often wondered what people actually say when they call in sick to work or what an employer expects.

Whenever I have in the past, I've felt like I need to awkwardly explain how ill I am and apologise profusely but really, am I expected to tell my employer what is wrong?

If I have the shits, for example, would you tell them that or is it acceptable to just say 'im sorry, I'm unwell today and won't be in work but will keep you updated'? Does my employer really want to know that I've been up vomiting in the night etc..?

I had a bad experience once in my first job years ago where I had been very unwell and had let them know. Their response was to tell me to get a shower, get some pro plus and they would see me at 9. It's made me very nervous ever since!

What do you say / what would be acceptable to you as an employer?

OP posts:
GrandTheftWalrus · 13/02/2019 21:02

I dont have to call in sick. I just email and say I'm no longer available.

But when I did it went to a central call centre and I had to give my name and employee number and had to tell them what was wrong.

Was so easy when pregnant "pregnancy related sickness" covered it all.

SleeplessInc · 13/02/2019 21:03

At my work you have to phone your line manager personally unless you are totally incapacitated, no texts or emails or getting someone else to call. You also have to give a good idea of the problem and how long you expect to be off. If your line manager isn’t available you have to speak to their manager and so on, no leaving a message with a colleague.

As a line manager myself I detest the ‘poorly voice too! If you say you’re ill I’ll believe you without overdoing it.

Hope you feel better soon Smile

MsAwesomeDragon · 13/02/2019 21:04

When I have to call in sick, which is rare, I apologise then give basic details of the illness. So I wouldn't tell them I've been having the runs, but I would say it's a stomach bug.

April241 · 13/02/2019 21:04

I'm NHS so usually need to tell them what's up so they can plan ahead. e.g D&V has a 48hr clearance since last episode so I'd need to phone in sick, then phone when it all finished, then resume to duty to go back 48hrs later.

I had DH phone for me last year as I'd been on shift and gradually started to lose my voice, by the end of my shift it was practically gone and when I woke up it had gone completely. They were fine as I couldn't actually call in and also they'd hear how bad it was.

CielBleuEtNuages · 13/02/2019 21:04

I text or email my manager. Then when Ive seen the Dr (sick note obligatory in France) I text or email with the number of days ive been signed off.

I usually say what I have except when I was pregnant and hadnt declared it yet.

Bestseller · 13/02/2019 21:05

We recently changed to insisting that people call and speak to their manager rather than text and there has been a notable reduction in absence.

I'd expect "I'm so sorry I won't be in, I have a terrible upset stomach" in your position OP and I'd tell you to look after yourself and well see you when you're well.

Gillian1980 · 13/02/2019 21:06

I usually text my manager and give basic info. Eg “sorry I won’t be in today, I’ve got an upset tummy”.

Or if something that we would laugh about he may get tmi. Eg when my morning sickness was particularly bad I said “really sorry but I won’t be in today. Morning sickness is vile - it was so violent this morning that it literally caused me to piss myself. Am now a complete disgusting mess who doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”

However, I have had managers who I certainly would not be so graphic with!!

PetuliaBlavatsky · 13/02/2019 21:06

We email in where I am, I usually give details of the reason why, I think it's helpful in terms of forward planning. I don't even know my line managers phone number!
I did have to call my DHs boss once for him, when he was taken into hospital with gallbladder problems but thankfully there's not much they can say to - he's in hospital so won't be in work.

Ffsnosexallowed · 13/02/2019 21:06

I work for NHS, do call to my line manager, "sorry I've been up all night with d&v, hopefully see you on X, will let you know how I am tomorrow. Will keep an eye on my emails and do what I can from home"

Bluerussian · 13/02/2019 21:07

Whenever I was too sick to go to work I just telephoned and explained. It was usually obvious anyway,

nocoolnamesleft · 13/02/2019 21:09

I think my best ever was:

I don't...think I'll...be in...work...today...I'm in...resus...and I'm...the... patient.

And yes, I was that out of breath.

WoollyMollyMonkey · 13/02/2019 21:13

In my job I had to register staff sickness on the Computer system (Local Authority) and we had to put a reason for absence, so I needed to know what people were off with. They also had to fill in and sign a print of it when they came back.

UnderCaffeinated · 13/02/2019 21:15

We have to call our line manager at least one hour before the start of a shift and let them know we won't be coming in and a rough idea of the reason, we are scheduled and they upload the reason, so it's like cold/flu or whatever you're unwell for. I believe the reason is recorded as we have 'stages' of sickness and it allows them to link them or notice any ongoing issues they might need to support with and I assume it helps them identify piss-takers as well. We also have to call each day of a absence if it isn't covered by a sick note.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 13/02/2019 21:15

We email our line manager. I was off before Christmas with a rotten cold, and said that I had a terrible cold, was coughing to the point of being sick, and had lost my voice. We also have to provide work/instructions for class cover.

OrcinusOrca · 13/02/2019 21:16

The policy is to say what the illness is and give an idea of when you'll be back. If you have d and v you can't go back for 48 hours after, so if you were ill on a Monday you couldn't go back until the Weds at best.

ChikiTIKI · 13/02/2019 21:24

I hate calling in sick and being on sick leave. Makes me feel SO guilty and useless!! I always phone in as that's what my contracts have always said I need to do. Luckily my current manager never picks up so I then send a text which I find easier. Only had one period of sick leave in this job but it was for a miscarriage so I much preferred to text updates to him rather than speak about it!

Hassled · 13/02/2019 21:29

When I record the absence of my staff on the HR system we use it does actually have a drop down list of categories of ailments, albeit in pretty general terms. And I think if someone was repeatedly entered under "no reason given" then eyebrows would be raised. So yes, tell your manager the basics at least - we don't need too much detail though.

viccat · 13/02/2019 21:32

I'm lucky to work for a small organisation where we all get along well. I just text my boss and usually tell him the reason (bad cold, injured leg etc.) and offer to keep an eye on emails from home... He also lets me know if he's off sick as he's the boss of the whole place so there wouldn't be anyone else for him to report to. He is usually way too TMI in his texts and I'd prefer not to know!

Dinsey70 · 13/02/2019 21:37

But whatever you do, the main key thing is not to put on a fake sick voice. ESPECIALLY if the illness is something which obviously in no way affects your voice. It’s cringeworthy to hear someone going “I’ve got really bad period cramps” while making their voice artificially husky.

I had someone do the poorly voice for a sprained ankle once.Confused

We have to ring in daily with an update or if signed off by a Dr we have to check in once a week.

trinity0097 · 13/02/2019 21:41

I get staff to text me if they are unwell. Most do, a few email, a couple might fab message me, haven’t had a call for years from staff!

This means they can send it whenever. So if they are sick in the night they can text then and then crawl back to bed and not set an alarm to get up just to let me know!

If i’m Sick though it’s harder, I have to get up and remote in to my Pc to organise my cover, send it to the printer and email a colleague to pick it up and stick up!

SapphireSeptember · 13/02/2019 21:43

We have to phone in, a manager usually answers, and they're usually complete nobbers who try to guilt trip you into coming in. Angry It doesn't work on me though.

I also sometimes feel like I can't be honest about why I'm phoning in sick when it comes down to mental health, although with what I went through last year I really should have got a doctor's note. Sad

CallMeSirShotsFired · 13/02/2019 21:44

I've only had a few sick days in the past 15 years, and that has all been the same manager.

I usually text or email him to say I'm not well, then go back to sleep. He trusts me enough to know I don't fake it so doesn't bother to to ask why, just wishes me well and to keep him posted.

Then again I often wfb (bed) as well, so it's sick-but-available.

happypotamus · 13/02/2019 21:45

We have to give a reason when we ring in. The computer system requires a vague reason from a list to put the person off sick, and I can't put someone else on the shift to replace them unless I do that.

reluctantbrit · 13/02/2019 21:47

We are a team of 4 and we normally text when it is clear in the morning that we won’t be in and follow it up with a phone call later the morning.

I think it started when one of us ended in the A & E until 4am and the husband called, saying she is back in bed and will call when she wakes up. For the moment it is enough to know someone is not in and as we have access to each other’s emails/files it works well.

Ideally we say how long it may take, there is a difference between an upset stomach due to D+V or dodgy food or a bad cold and a serious infection, if we are signed off we tell A’s soon as possible.

Ideally we call at the end of the day and indicate if we are in the next day.

YouBumder · 13/02/2019 21:47

I wouldn’t say I had diarrhoea, how cringey! If it was that I’d probably just say I had a stomach bug.

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