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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To throw a sickie tomorrow?

18 replies

ReesiRoo · 11/02/2009 20:09

I am usually a good attender of my job. Have had about 3 days off in the last year.

I currently live in council accommodation with my ex partner. Area is awful where we live now. Ex and I get along ok but it's not ideal. None of us could afford to leave as private is too expensive with deposit and bond and council/housing ass waiting lists are huge.

Today a lady called and I have been offered a slot for an interview at housing association for Friday but it is in my working hours. No way could shift be changed at this late notice and I know my boss would bad mouth me to all of my colleagues if I went and messed up the rosta but this is the only interviewing date for months. The area of new home is lovely. I have a friend who currently lives there and it is always a pleasure to visit her and her neighbours are just lovely people. What oh what should I do?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 11/02/2009 20:11

Can you get anyone to swap shifts with you?

Aimsmum · 11/02/2009 20:15

Message withdrawn

Original poster
ReesiRoo · 11/02/2009 20:16

No one is on the same hours as me expatinscotland and it's very doubtful that they would budge anyway.

OP posts:
andlipsticktoo · 11/02/2009 20:18

Difficult one, but all things considered, throw a sickie. It is for a very good reason - your housing situation, and that affects your quality of life. Do it.

Original poster
ReesiRoo · 11/02/2009 20:18

It's just depressing really aimsmum and I see this as my only option. I feel so low having to live like this and apart from this one opportunity, I feel like there is no other way out. I just love my job and feel extremely guilty lying but I have been recently ill with an on-going illness so that can be my excuse.

OP posts:
Ronaldinhio · 11/02/2009 20:18

throw a sickie

Devendra · 11/02/2009 20:18

Take a sicky!! Goodness you need one and don't feel guilty at all. your future happiness depends on getting new accomodation. I wouldn't think twice about it.

Original poster
ReesiRoo · 11/02/2009 20:21

...and I forgot to mention that this is going over to my work. I feel depressed about the home situation, even thinking about having to go home each evening fills me with dread, I despise days off because I know that with little money I have no option but to spend my days in that house and at work people have even commented on how quiet I am and how down I seem and I feel as if i've lost my va-va-voom having to live in this situation.

OP posts:
Aimsmum · 11/02/2009 20:22

Message withdrawn

Original poster
ReesiRoo · 11/02/2009 20:25

well I will thank you for your replies. I thought I might let my boss know tonight that i'm unwell and then at least she will have time to prepare cover for tomorrow. It's a specialised skilled job and a small team so because it's specialised, no one from outside can come in to cover. It may mean one of my colleagues having to come in on their rest day or having to work a 10 hour shift and thats what makes me think twice. Also, anyone that has called in sick in the past, my boss has always been very mean about because it means more work for her having to find cover.

OP posts:
Original poster
ReesiRoo · 11/02/2009 20:26

sorry I mean cover for Friday as i'm not in tomorrow anyway. I so wish they could have interviewed tomorrow!

OP posts:
poopscoop · 11/02/2009 20:26

Throw the sickie, and good luck. I am pretty sure anyone at your workplace who was in the same position would be doing just that.

pamelat · 11/02/2009 20:33

Its difficult. Personally (but my boss is understanding) I would explain the situation or take a family day - do these exist for you?

pinkspottywellies · 11/02/2009 20:39

What time of day is the interview? Would it sound feasible if you called in sick in the morning and said you planned to take pain-killers and go back to bed and if you felt better later on you would come in? If that fits with the illness you've had it would probably make you feel less bad about letting the others down.

(I did this once cause I had an interview, which work knew about in advance but then wouldn't let me have the time off! )

HateSponge · 11/02/2009 20:48

I think PSW's idea is a great one - I did something similar myself once, said I had a migraine or something but that I would come in after lunch when the painkiller had kicked in

However I then felt really bad when I did go in as my then boss (who never normally had a nice word to say about anyone) made a big fuss about me 'struggling' into work, what a trooper I was, etc, etc!

myfunnynametaken · 11/02/2009 20:59

What about if you just very very apologetically tell the truth. State that you WILL have to be absent from work for part of the day because you have an emergency housing problem.

Sometimes, being assertive and basically just TELLING them you will be at an appointment, rather than requesting time off can work well.

Be firm. tell them you are going and will skip your lunch break and make up the time on another day. What will they do? Sack you for having an emergency housing situation?

TheCrackFox · 11/02/2009 21:05

Throw a sickie and good luck.

Nightcrawly · 11/02/2009 21:25

Throw a sickie. In ten years time will you be grateful that you have a nice place to live or worried that you threw a sickie?

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