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?

@silverbubbles

I have called in sick when my kids have been ill. I think its more acceptable for me to be ill than take a day off caring for a sick child.

Same. Tbh when I was a single parent I relied on my elderly mom for childcare. If my child had d&v I couldn’t risk mom getting it as it would take her longer to recover. Plus I generally caught it anyway. So I’d call in sick. Only did it once or twice.

I've worked for a company which allowed "duvet days" and it isn't sick leave. It's a short notice (I. E. That day) day off, which is usually taken from your annual leave entitlement.
Wrt to the original question, no I've never pulled a sickie when I wasn't ill. There have a been a few times when I've rang in and have perked up as the day went on, but at the point of calling in sick I genuinely didn't fell well enough to go into work.

No, never. Rarely taken time off work, most years I’ve never had any time off sick.

Yes I'm autistic and I feel mentally run down. Rather then explain that I just I have bad tummy ect.

When school age yes but never during working life.

No I never have. I've also worked when I've been sick.

If I'm sick I cannot move and stay in bed.

Now and then

@MaryIsA

Duvet days...I believe you are allowed 3 a year by law.

My issue is I live somewhere small so I have to stay in if I call in sick. Even when I am sick.

Where in the world do you live for that to be law?

No,never.

No, I have had five sick days in 20 years and two of those I was in hospital. I am lucky that I am not a sicky type person and never even really get colds. But I have forced myself in when I was very ill-hence the hospital, but over the last few years I have realised that I have done myself real harm by doing this and next time I am ill I will stay home. My employer is fantastic in this regard, we get six weeks full paid sickness entitlement a year-unheard of in retail, I get very angry at the employees who take the piss out of it, they have no idea how lucky they are and they will be the reason if it gets cut to no paid sick days like a previous employer.

No. I feel guilty calling in sick even when I am ill🙁

Yeah I used to take a couple of days every year before I had DC. I used to make sure it was a ‘good’ time and not when we were short staffed or in peak holiday time etc.

I haven’t done it since having DC because I’ve had enough genuine reasons for needing sickness or dependants leave!

I don’t take sick days unless I’m really ill, just because if I started I would want to do it all the time. One of my colleagues always seems to phone in sick (at least twice a month) and it’s always on ‘bad’ shifts, like the night shift. She might be genuinely ill, but it’s annoying as now managers rarely give her a night shift as they know she’ll just phone in sick. It feels like she’s sort of bullying the rubbish shifts onto other people.

No.

I have a disability (and a very chequered work history where I'd be 'let go' if I needed too much time off for hospital appointments or treatment largely because they wouldn't allow me time off for hospital appointments ).

The last thing I need for my future employability is to have a crappy sickness absence record, needing to look for another job during a period of sickness or getting dismissed on capability grounds, never mind being fired because somebody has seen me out and about having a nice time, rather than going from GP to Pharmacy and maybe the nearest supermarket to home.

The reason why I feel particularly scrutinised? Because employers have people that take the fucking piss and fancy a day off because it's sunny/Friday/Monday. And that suspicion reflects upon me because I'm supposedly the higher risk to the employer or might encourage others to think it's OK and do it themselves.

Zero sick leave last financial year. 5 days (1 day and 4 days) the previous. 3 the one before that. All absolutely essential and related to the disability (so the current employer doesn't count them at all).

If it weren't for pisstaking wankers making everybody distrusted and people like me look bad, I'd feel less anxious about taking sickness leave for non infectious but genuine things.

@Crimeismymiddlename

No, I have had five sick days in 20 years and two of those I was in hospital. I am lucky that I am not a sicky type person and never even really get colds. But I have forced myself in when I was very ill-hence the hospital, but over the last few years I have realised that I have done myself real harm by doing this and next time I am ill I will stay home. My employer is fantastic in this regard, we get six weeks full paid sickness entitlement a year-unheard of in retail, I get very angry at the employees who take the piss out of it, they have no idea how lucky they are and they will be the reason if it gets cut to no paid sick days like a previous employer.

I'm wondering how you decide if other employees are taking the piss though?

I get a lot of raised eyebrows but I have bipolar disorder (which colleagues don't necessarily know). To a colleague I'll usually say I had a migraine/stomach bug...no doubt they think I'm taking the piss but I'm really not.

A few years ago I would have said yes, but looking back they weren’t actually sickies at all. They were mental health related and due to feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Like a PP said, mental health isn’t taken as seriously for sickness as physical. I lied on each occasion and said I had a cold/the shits as I felt I would be seen as a piss taker if I were honest.

Never have!

When I was a teenager at a weekend job yes.

I used to when it didn't really have an impact on my job as I could keep up quite easily. now it only makes my week even worse when I have to come back to all the work I have missed so I don't..

No one has to cover for me if I don't go in, but I have responsibilities that I feel better for having managed, so as long as I can do a reasonable job I go in. Somethings are overwhelming though, I took a day recently because a situation gave me a sleepless night and a stress headache asunde I knew I was too preoccupied with the problem to be able to focus on my work. Otherwise, no, I don't need duvet days thankfully , I get enough time to myself.

Not now. But have had pull sickies in the past because I was massively still drunk / hungover. (Much younger). Wouldn’t dream to do it now.

Never.
My last day off sick was probably about 3 years ago.
Once I called in sick to go to a festival but that was over 10 years ago now.
I should have called in sick when my kids were off sick though... work took pay away for that but they wouldn't if I'd said it was me sick, so next time I'll do that.

Of course you aren’t allowed duvet days by law!

I don’t phone in sick when I’m not, no. I don’t always phone in sick when I am! I

Ok duvet days...I know it’s not the law. It’s a. Nice phrase though for days where you need to give yourself some headspace....

As someone upthread said, if you are thinking of doing it then you probably need a day off.

@Royalbloo

But my career is so important to me it pays for nursery fees, my house, my car. Why would I do that?! I don't get it.

Do you really not get it?

Or are you doing that boring faux confused thing?

Some people are exhausted and have shit jobs so they don't want to go. That's not hard to understand? Or do you sometimes struggle with simple things?

Anyway to answer op. No it's not something I do but I I've my jobs and I do some freelance work so no work = no pay! It was something I did when I had a shitty job in a supermarket and had mental health problems. Many years ago. But in all honesty looking back its hard to know what was just disliking going to work and what was poor mental health.

I do think if you're doing it regularly you need to reflect on why and if it is time to move on.