Do you ever call in sick when you are not?

[DriedFig]

Just a thought really. I'm sometimes tempted to call in sick, but would feel too guilty. Is an occasional sickie acceptable?

I was once off sick with a vomiting bug. My place of work had a policy that you needed to be 24 hours clear before you could return to work (it's 48 in most places these days). I was still being sick at 4pm so spoke to work who confirmed that I needed to stay off the following day.

I woke up the next morning and I was fine. Like nothing had happened, so enjoyed my lazy day. That evening I had a driving lesson, which I went on as I was 24 hours clear by the point.

The next day I was called into the manager's office and given a dressing down as I'd been spotted on my driving lesson, so I clearly wasn't sick the previous day.

Despite me pointing out that they were the ones with the policy that prevented me from coming to work and that I went on the lesson after being 24 hours clear and outside of my working hours, they were still really funny with me.

Yes. It is ok. I rarely get sick but sometimes i need a duvet day. I've had about 2-3 sick days in ten years. Some people have that many in a year

I've honestly never done this. Partly because I'd feel bad, partly because my colleagues would have to cover my role and partly because I enjoy my job and rarely feel like doing this.

I hardly ever take genuine sick days either!

Technically yes. In 20 years I have phoned in sick twice for non health related emergencies. One morning the cat was dripping blood from her bottom all over the landing - I could hardly just go out all day leaving her like that! Another time a pipe burst & the downstairs neighbour was flooded & hysterical at my door. Along with sick leave & parental leave, I realy wish employers would offer at least one paid emergency day in a year!

I don’t think they are acceptable. In my younger days I did call in sick a couple of times due to a monster hangover so whilst self inflicted, I was too sick to work. There is the odd occasion I’m mentally exhausted so like a pp, will take my laptop to bed, clear non essential calls and just deal with a few things that can’t wait. My output is high, I’ve worked for the core company for 25 years so I don’t feel guilty doing that.

I’ve called in sick to a job I wanted to leave to attend a job interview elsewhere. They’d have never let me attend- so I felt I had to! Got the new job, luckily!

No, never. And it really annoys me when people do. And it always tends to be the same people as well, messing up everybody else’s plans by having to cover their days.

No, I can't afford to take time off unless I'm genuinely ill.

I've also done the sick for job interviews too.
And I hope if nothing else this pandemic stops the feckin martyrs who drag their illnesses into the work place to share whilst telling everyone how dreadful they feel and how important they are. May be now people will have a better sense of what other people's vulnerability is.

Thanks @XenoBitch I just feel bad about it as I'm now WFH and they've been understanding about homeschooling too.
I also know time off means I'll have a ton of things to come back to and that makes me nervous.
I'll see how this week goes.

I'm off sick with a dreadful cold today. Health service; given the last year it's a bit less acceptable to go in dripping snot everywhere!

Depends what you define as 'sick'. I've taken a day off when physically fine before but was struggling and feeling emotionally drained/stressed and panicky due to insomnia.

I'd class that as sick, but I know some wouldn't.

I haven't but feel like it's increasingly common these days - in mum FB groups there always seem to be people taking their kids out of school for 'mental health' days and the under 25s where I work would definitely consider that a reasonable sick day.

DS is about to start a new job which offers 2 Pyjama Days a year. Sounds a bit loopy to me, why not just say you have to book 25 days and keep 2 back for last minute days off?

Yes. Only once ever.
Phoned in sick on a Friday, then rang a holiday company and booked a long weekend in a log cabin.
One of the naughtiest things I've ever done and was so worried on the phone they could tell I was lying.
I will note the company was the worst place I ever worked, constant bullying and meetings about my appearance rather than my actual work and actually told me they wanted me to diet and I'm sure some of the comments were illegal, but I was young and don't have much of a back bone. It was a call centre and I was on minimum wage and had only worked in one company previously for 5 years, so it was only my second job.
I did leave the company very shortly after as mentally I couldn't deal with them any further.
It was a lovely weekend though.

No never did in 38 years of full time working. What really did annoy me was having to cover for colleagues who were hung over rather than sick.

Where I worked if you phoned in sick on a Friday it would cost you three days sick not one because the weekend would be included

I was thinking about this the other day, in the 8 years I worked full time as a permanent (nhs) nurse I was physically off sick less than a handful of times. But my sickness record was terrible over the past 2 years due to my mental health, but it was frowned upon to phone in saying I couldn’t face getting out of bed so I’d say I had a migraine etc. I ended up on a level 3 sickness which meant I could face displinary action, I wasn’t supported very well at all (I was honest about my problems) and ended up leaving end of last year. I now do bank/agency and realised how the environment I was working in was making me ill, so glad I got out when I did.

No one should work under those pressures and yet I saw my colleagues struggling too and sickness levels were always high, rarely a day went by without someone phoning in sick (smallish team too) and I strongly believed they weren’t physically ill either.

I can only hope things improve, but sadly I doubt that’ll be any time soon.

Yes, a few times. At the end of the day it's my life and unfortunately I have to work to live.....if I can claw back some time for myself occasionally why not?
I have called in sick very rarely anyway and have been very productive with my time so I don't feel guilty at all!

Skivvers and yea but it’s my life innit types don’t feel any compunction about their selfish choices

Only the once.

The job was a bit of a headfuck at the time. A lot of toxic politicking, and myself and a couple of the other staff were in the middle of a bit of a tug of war between senior staff. The result was that because senior staff couldn't agree WHAT we should be doing, I was doing nothing more than shuffling the deck chairs.

So I stayed home rather than go somewhere I wasn't needed and was constantly subject to being used as a pawn. Can't say I feel massively guilty, they didn't lose anything from me.

Not at work, but at school, yes, I did, fairly frequently . I HATED school though and work has never been anything like as bad, even during really stressful times!

I honestly think my mum and dad were a little remiss in not taking me out of school if I'm honest. Determined never to make that mistake with my own dcs, but I digress!

Only twice in my much younger days. First time working in a pub. Landlady has her favourites. We all put in requests for time off over Christmas but obviously some staff were needed each day. Landlady decided I could do the whole of Christmas week ( including Christmas eve and day) because her pet staff wanted to travel home to visit their families. Er, so did I! I threw a sickie on Boxing (much quieter) after some totally knackering shifts where we were woefully understaffed. A few days later, on New year's eve when I had an actual day off I came down with horrendous D&V and it felt like karma for lying (I had claimed to have D&V).

The only other time I felt bad about but looking back it was a mental health day. On the Saturday we'd had our engagement party which was ruined by my husband to be, his brothers and mates acting like total immature twats. I'd been planning it for ages and was so upset and disappointed. On Tuesday (this had been Easter weekend) I woke up and thought "I can't do this", called in sick and stayed in bed all day feeling sorry for myself. I don't think my boss believed me as she was rather terse with me next day. To rub it in she clearly had a bad cold and was still working. So I felt even worse!

I haven't thrown another sickie 23 years later! In fact not many days off sick at all. If memory serves me correctly I've had 8 days in those 23 years (three occasions was due to planned surgeries).

Yes, all the time where it can get away with it. Why not?? It’s not like they pay me for sick days.

Life is for living.....at least sometimes anyway

Too many people take sickies when they fancy a day off.

Obviously not according to this thread

@CorianderBee

Depends what you define as 'sick'. I've taken a day off when physically fine before but was struggling and feeling emotionally drained/stressed and panicky due to insomnia.

I'd class that as sick, but I know some wouldn't.

No wonder this country has such poor mental health. It's so sad that people feel they can't say 'I'm struggling' for fear of being accused of skiving or malingering.

Sometimes you just can't. I've been there - it's awful