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?

Really interested reading replies here, especially about feeling guilty about taking time off when really ill. That’s a big issue, isn’t it? If that’s a reflection of how we work / feel as a nation, no wonder we’re not in brilliant health (mental or physical)! Also agree about the stigma of saying you need time off for mental health issues. I’ve done this in the past- needed time off for mental health, but blamed something more ‘socially acceptable’ like a sickness bug. Realised I’m part of the problem perpetuating the stigma. Now I’m more senior in my role, I’m very open with my team if I’m having time off because of stress, anxiety etc- BUT also do what I can to sign post to help for others etc etc too.
Whilst we keep feeling that we have to call mental health problems ‘a tummy bug’ we really are all fucked...

Very occasionally, but I’d say they were more mental health days that just sickies for the sake of it. Like sometimes you’re just so run down and mentally depleted that you know you don’t have the resilience or energy levels to do what’s expected of you.

Although theres lots of lip service paid to mental health these days, there’s still no real accommodation for mental health made my employers unless it’s a full blown “get signed off for six weeks plus” type situation. You don’t always need six weeks or any other longer or shorter period. Sometimes a day is enough to give you a boost and repair your resilience.

Not for the past 20 years or so. I did occasionally do it in my 20s; maybe once every other year. Not condoning it, it's not OK. The most likely reason was that I'd overslept so badly that I was going to be appallingly late.

My employer announced that everyone is being given 5 wellbeing days of extra leave this year. So I don't have to pull a sickie.

There’s no such thing as a duvet day. It has no meaning and no statutory allowance of days

Nooo I'd feel too guilty and just wouldn't feel relaxed or anything. I have epilepsy too so save my sick days for when I've had a seizure the night before or that morning as there's no way I'd be able to function for a 12 hour shift after! Also I have major phone anxiety so if I was genuinely really ill I'd suffer through rather than speak on the phone

Never but do daydream about it a lot. I wouldn’t want to make the rest of my teams day harder as I work in a class of 8 children with asd and a change of staff can cause all kinds of mayhem.

I've done it in a previous job, many years ago, but that was with a company who told me that if I did the unpaid overtime to get them out of a hole, I'd get a bonus. So I 'worked 70 hour weeks to meet the deadlines only for them to turn round and say no bonus for me, I hadn't been there long enough. So I took the time back and fuck 'em.

Never done it since, never needed to.

No, never. I had to call in sick today as I had V &D yesterday. I feel so guilty as I know it will have made things very difficult for my boss.

Self-employed people have to be more or less dead before they take sick days.

No. Why would I unless I was sick?

@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.

Not in England!

In answer to the original question ... no never! I’ve been at my current school five years and I’ve had one day off sick and another where I worked from home at short notice because I hurt my leg and couldn’t drive.

No haven't had a sick day in 5 years.

Yes, loads of times.
During my last pregnancy, I had practically the whole time off with 'back pain,' my old GP was happy to sign me off every month. My job was v stressful though, I went back in for 2 weeks to finish a project and that was it. Took full mat leave and gave my notice in, which I was signed off sick for rather than worked it.

Havent worked since been sahm ever since.

Nope... not me. I would feel guilty. Part of me was hoping I would feel ill after my covid jab so I could have a duvet day but felt well enough to work so I did.

You purposefully submitted sick lines when fit to work. Utterly reprehensible

I’m s/e, I have called in sick with myself and worked at the weekend instead.

I did it once when I was 19 and I genuinely ended up catching a pretty bad cold which i'm sure was karma for lying... so never again.

@TheRedBalloon

Yes, loads of times. During my last pregnancy, I had practically the whole time off with 'back pain,' my old GP was happy to sign me off every month. My job was v stressful though, I went back in for 2 weeks to finish a project and that was it. Took full mat leave and gave my notice in, which I was signed off sick for rather than worked it.

Havent worked since been sahm ever since.

You sound really lazy

Not generally no, although I have taken a couple of what would now be considered acceptable mental health days (but when I wouldn't have had any 'visible' signs of illness IYKWIM).

Had a big argument with a (junior) colleague once about sick leave though - she saw it as an 'entitlement' which was there to be used, as in "I've only used 10 of 15 paid sick days, so I have 5 still to use before the end of March" . No amount of arguing could get her to understand that it wasn't some kind of holiday extension!

Nope because I know how it is to pick up a slack whrn someone is actually ill so me wanting an extra day off really wouldn't morally fly with me.

Yes. I don't get paid for sick days so now and then when my boss winds me up and I feel like it's getting too much I ring in and say I'm poorly, have a lay in, order breakfast to my house, eat in bed and watch some films. I've never felt bad because I personally work in a place where we all refuse to work extra if someone else is off sick because our boss would see it as an opportunity to make us do more all the time and have less staff if we show willing to do that. So my sick days don't make anyone elses day harder, my boss doesn't pay me and it stops me from walking out and allows me a reset day.
One time I did it so I could go to a theme park too but it wasn't worth it, having to be sneaky and panic I'd give up details by accident the next day made me too worried. Only worth it for a day in bed!

@NextDoorKnobber

Self-employed people have to be more or less dead before they take sick days.

Lol yeah😂

Once. I'd been working crazy hours with a big commute. I woke up one morning and found I could barely move and was sobbing uncontrollably. I think my brain and body had gone on strike. I rang in and claimed I had a stomach bug.

Funny how diarrhoea is less embarrassing than admitting you are struggling.

@Chosennone

I'm hoping the 'struggling in' expectation does change though in a post covid world. Bugs spreading round like wildfire and people battling on when visibly I'll was terrible 😔

Me too I work in a small knit team so if one of us gets something we all do.

It's also a physical job so if you aren't feeling great it's awful