To think calling in sick for no sleep is a good enough reason?

[Rachelinaa]

I work in an office that's been open through most of lockdown due to admin we do being essential.
Recently one of my workmates has been calling in sick a lot because he hasn't been sleeping well as he's got a baby at home that won't sleep. I was shocked to hear other people at work saying they thought it was a ridiculous reason not to come to work and we've all had to come to work tired. But I thought they'd be able to see the difference between being tired and not sleeping at all. His baby has colic and the mum also works.
I've called in sick before for being too tired when my baby was a newborn and didn't sleep. I wondered what everyone else's thoughts on this was? I personally don't want someone driving to work if they're too tired to focus and I can't think that the boss would want someone in more likely to make mistakes.

The problem is, unless you allowed everyone to phone in sick due to lack of sleep, regardless of the reason, then you would be favouring people with children over those that don’t. Or to put it another way, discriminating over those without children

This.

Where do you draw the line?

Someone with newborn triplets whose wife is in hospital?
Someone with a newborn with colic?
Someone with a newborn?
Someone with three under 5s?
Someone living with a parent with dementia.
Someone living with a really selfish neighbour who has loud parties.
Someone whose flat mate stays up late playing video games.
Someone with insomnia?
Someone who stays up late playing video games.

Where do you draw the line?

Not an acceptable reason IMO. Attendance in most work places would be horrendous if people called in sick due to sleep issues.

@drinkplease

The parents need to sleep in shifts. Having a child that is autistic and can go for 3 or four days even with melatonin with no sleep at all I sympathise but tbh you just get on with it. Most mine has slept is 4 hours. I'd never consider that a reason to call in sick.

Our DC are autistic and similar to this. I think DH has taken off 1 sick day for lack of sleep (he said something else though) but by that point we hadn't slept more than an hour each per night for a week. It was an extreme circumstance. Other than that, no.

I'm NHS and have done many jobs where I'm expected to be on call at night and work the next day.
I did a MSc via work and the course was full of people that had been on nights and then did the course the next day.
I can't imagine phoning in sick for this. If it was really bad I might ask for a days annual leave.

During return to work interviews one is asked to the reason why as a duty of care,obviously you don't have to give a reason but if you know that you could be helped or it might have a long term.impact on your work you should give the information.

I would think that they were naive tbh.
I have, at various points, been high on lack of sleep. I must have called in sick at some point. But it would have been a stomach bug, not cos I was tired!

It's pathetic. I was up all night for months caring for my husband when he had cancer and I didn't call in sick. No, it's not a good reason.

No. Not acceptable.

He could go to bed earlier. What if it was a small business? This could be very expensive.

@trixieMixie - exactly. It is pathetic.

Your experience of looking after your DH makes OP's colleague look a total snowflake.

I agree with Embracingthechaos

If you are tired then I see it that you are unwell. Cannot believe some of the negative responses here such as 'suck it up'. UGH! Get a heart

How does the whole office no his resin for being off sick? Is this not confidential?

*reason

Depends on how much sleep is no sleep, with my kids when they were babies they'd wake up evey hour screaming for a feed and then scream with pain. Both had severe reflux. No way could I function on that little sleep in a work place. Have rung school before for my son too as he had 2 hours sleep a few nights, he normally gets 4-5 and an awful sleeper. School never has a problem with it and don't see why a workplace would and I can sympatise with the family greatly and can imagine what they are going through.

What a great office. You can go on weekends away, or spend weekends with your friends (soon), then "call in sick" because you haven't slept enough.

Love it. I need to have a word with my HR department

Unless you drive or do surgery I would say not getting enough sleep is a pretty crap excuse for not coming in. I would have never been in work when my insomnia is bad - could be up all day and night for nearly 2 weeks, then finally get a few hours before a week or more... Went on for years. I was constantly exhausted but still got to work.

I would say that you can do it once every now and then. But not regularly

Lots of people have babies and manage
You have to adjust

Omg yes! What is wrong with people making it a competition about how little sleep they get by on. Well done you guys 🙄.

It's hard surviving on no sleep and your call if you feel able to work or not. Like someone else said, lack of sleep also affects mental health. And this is along with a new baby which is a whirlwind in itself!

I would take the day off, not expect to use a sick day for that.

Lindylou2703

oh come on, it's not a competition. It's just a laughable and ridiculous excuse.

You might as well call in sick when you have eaten a bit too much and feel a bit sluggish, when you have completed a sport competition and are very sore...

Take a day off, but calling sick for that is being a CF. It's funny, but it's still not professional or acceptable.

If you are tired then I see it that you are unwell

Really?! No matter what the reason for the tiredness??

As a mother of a daughter who has never slept through since birth and has ongoing colic/bowel/wind problems at night sometimes up every other hour in pain I sympathise. Doesn’t anyone realise how dangerous sleep deprivation is? I’ve been there. I once screamed at my partner begging him to call in sick as he was working the next day and my baby had seven sleepless nights. Napping during the day only got us through. We shouldn’t need to explain calling in sick full stop. This is also an issue when you call in sick with depression/anxiety or stress your manager totally judges I’ve found even if your the best employee.

Can you imagine what the heck would happen if everyone took the day off because of lack of sleep, half the country would grind to a halt. He is not the first parent to be kept awake nor will he be the last.

@TiredoutMum93 I think it's because people don't understand till they've been in the situation with themselves or people close to them.

I am currently going through ‘the change’, my worst symptom is not sleeping. Like not at all. Some nights I am lucky to get 3 hours, I’ve tried sleeping pills, hypno, etc. Nothing works.
I manage a nursery, as in 30 excited preschoolers and 8 staff. I have been tempted to call in sick numerous times because of being a walking zombie. But if I do I let the entire team down.
None of my staff would dare call in sick for lack of sleep because they know I drag myself in even if I’ve had only 3 hours.

I personally think being tired is not an acceptable reason. Drink a red bull, take some vitamins and get on with it. Colleague should just go to bed at 8pm and get the sleep in where they can. Go to bed with baby, if that’s means 7pm then that’s just life.

I would have sympathy but YABU. It's expected that new parents lose sleep, potentially a lot, and that is why maternity leave exists. The parent on mat leave can do the bulk of the night shift and make sure the working parent is in good health for work. If his wife has gone back to work early and this is the reason his lack of sleep, they need to accept it wasn't the right decision and try to rearrange/reduce their working hours. I think calling in sick occasionally would be OK but 'lots' implies it's a regular problem and he needs to address it.

I do sympathise though. It is so hard to function when really tired.