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?

@impostersong

No, don't tend to even if I am sick. If I'm off it puts pressure on the rest of the team. It's selfish, immature and unprofessional to pull a sickie. You're paid to do a job not sit around watching Netflix.

It’s also a bit selfish to go into work if you actually are ill though, and a little bit matryr? It means it can spread round a team, impacting productivity far more than if one person had kept away for a day or two. Totally agree pulling a fast one isn’t on. But as a team manager I find it equally annoying when someone ‘soldiers on in’ coughing and spluttering so we all get a dose...

I would never go into work with germs, but we can work from home - even before the pandemic I did this if I was a bit ill but not very.

My boss often says “oh take the day off if you’re ill” but it’s not her sickness record that will be awful.

Nope. I suspect my colleagues think I have though, I took several days off a few years ago for a whopper concussion and a day last year because of an unusual allergy. Sometimes I am tempted to take a day off because of stress but I know the work won’t go away so it’ll only make things worse.

Yes, as I don't get sick pay and it's not really letting anyone down, so no reason to feel guilty. And they're generally mental health days, rather than going off for a jolly.

I go in to work with heavy colds

Really wish people wouldn't do this - as above, I don't get sick pay...

It depends on the definition of sick? Physical or mental? My job is extremely stressful and I would take a mental health day if feeling overwhelmed but we’ll blame something physical

Totally agree it’s selfish to go into the workplace with an infectious illness though

@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.

Don’t talk bollocks.

There is no law giving people the right to “duvet days” 😂😂

Nope, I feel guilty being off sick when I'm actually sick!

Rarely but it has happened. Only ever on days where it wouldn't cause any big issues for anyone else though, I would have felt too guilty otherwise.

I did once. I realised I couldn't fucking stand going in anymore, I was so sick of it. Couple of days off, followed by handing in my resignation and working my notice period.

Never wanted to in my current job, I enjoy the work and work /life balance it allows.

I've done it once - we had a water, heating and hot water failure and I couldn't have a shower so didn't go to work! I have to have a shower and wash my hair before I leave the house! I confessed to my boss a couple of years later and he found it hilarious.

I used to be permitted 5 days off (7 with the weekend) every 26 weeks uncertified and unchallenged (love my union) but once I took a cheeky week off and fell ill for real on the day I was going back. Also, I made lame excuses for what I had. Only I get norovirus twice a year at about the same time 2 years running. I was told to clear up my act or leave. I am a good girl now.

No.

Did it once when I worked in a pub one summer holiday at uni. Got rumbled by one of the other staff who saw me out at an outdoor event and have never done it again since! I don't think I felt that guilty though.

Now I don't need to, if I'm feeling rough I take my laptop to bed or just take the day off. We have a really supportive team and there is no issue taking a day off at the last minute if you need it, whatever the reason.

I have in the past but now they'd be considered 'mental health/wellness days', the kind where you just need a day on the sofa or in bed. They weren't recognised as such even a few years ago –I think it's more acceptable now. But ringing in sick to have a jolly at a theme park or the shops? No, never. I'd be too scared of getting found out!

Yes, when I had covid in January. Obviously I wouldn’t have gone into the office anyway but I was surprised that after having a positive test result I was feeling fine, so I milked it a bit and said I wasn’t very well and not up to working at home. First time in about 15 years though, so I’m not sorry.

I sometimes think a competitive work ethic is up there with competitive under eating when it comes to MN! People on MN rarely have time to pee at work much less take any breaks, and work all hours. So of course they never take sick days! It’s why I’m glad not to have to work with those types of people anymore, staggering in and spreading their germs everywhere. Fact is I’d rather cover a colleagues work for a couple of days than have them come in and make me sick!

I actually don’t get paid for sick days so I have to work when I can. Therefore wouldn’t take a sick day if I wasn’t ill. But sometimes I have taken the odd day off in the past if say I’d slept really badly and felt exhausted. On here I’ve seen the advice to just go take a shower and drink lots of coffee and struggle in! I just called in sick and went back to bed! You don’t see employers feeling guilty when people work over their hours for nothing, which I’ve seen a lot in my job. Imagine a boss saying “oh I feel so bad you got stuck here late tonight, here have some extra pay” so no, while I’ve never taken the piss, I have no qualms about taking a day off if I need to. Whether that’s because I’m ill or just badly need the day off at short notice. It’s never been an issue.

Never have. I have a chronic illness and the sheer number of days I can't function are grim. Any days when I'm well enough to work/think straight and function are grabbed with both hands.

No. Not once in my whole life. I've only had about 10 days sick in the last 20 years. Duvet days? FFS.

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

That's a good point. I would be tempted.

No. Never.

I have once called in sick with a "stomach bug" when actually it was my mental health that was the problem. I was grieving, I couldn't face going in to work, I knew I would cry at some point during the day and wouldn't be able to cope. I don't regret it at all. I couldn't say what the problem was out loud, it was too difficult, but I could say the words stomach bug. I took 2 days off, and went back in a much better frame of mind.

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

Not in the U.K. you aren’t.

In answer to the OP, no.

Never! It’s incredibly lazy and I would think badly of someone who thought this was acceptable.

Nope, I’ve had about 5 days off in the last 10 years! Mostly for When DS is ill. DH hasn’t had a day off in over 7 years either.

If you’re going to throw a sickie, don’t do what DH’s most recent probationer who managed to have “food poisoning” twice in 2 weeks, both on days when she has a supervision... she’s no longer with the company...

@TillyTopper

I've done it once - we had a water, heating and hot water failure and I couldn't have a shower so didn't go to work! I have to have a shower and wash my hair before I leave the house! I confessed to my boss a couple of years later and he found it hilarious.

I probably would have taken the day off in that case but not said I was ill - I was given the day off once when bailiffs turned up at my flat trying to collect stuff to pay the previous tenant’s debts! Previous tenant we think being on the run after not appearing in court for his conviction of burglary. I called my manager and explained what was happening and he gave me the day off to deal with it.