Please help me word an email about sickness absence

[ChangeNarmer]

I think I'm going to email in sick tomorrow because I feel like shit on toast.

Last time I went off sick, my department manager (not my line manager) asked me to email my immediate colleagues to get someone to cover the activities I had that day. This took me nearly an hour of time I was off sick, and brought on a bastard migraine.

It pissed me off intensely.

I'm thinking of emailing in sick for tomorrow because I feel absolutely rotten. But I also want to say that I won't be spending time during my sickness absence arranging my own cover. Does this sound okay for that last bit:
I have [activities] scheduled for Tuesday 13th which will need covering. I've attached the plan for these and here are the timings/rooms. I'd appreciate it if you could please get someone from [immediate team] to cover these.

I've only ever taken sickness once before and I have a weird anxiety about it - long story!
Thank you wise MNers

I would probably add something along the lines of “and if you’re unable to find someone to cover these meetings/sessions please could you cancel and let x know I’ll rearrange on my return”

Don't know what your policy is at work, but most places I know, you have to phone in sick. Email and it's unauthorised absence. If asked to arrange cover you just say that you are sick and that's a managers job.

Just call in sick in the standard way but have a response ready for if you’re asked to arrange cover “I’m afraid I’m too unwell and not able to work at all.” Don’t apologise - it annoys me when people feel they have to apologise for being unwell. Sign of a poor culture.

presuming it’s just a run of the mill bug how do you know you won’t feel better tomorrow? Our policy is phone on the day, are you allowed to email the day before?

That said, I wouldn’t have decided I’m ill for tomorrow at lunch time today. Bit early to make that call unless it’s more than a virus.

Agree that most places require a telephone call but that depends on your work policy.

Don't say it's a manager's job to arrange cover, as you will just look like you're being really arsey. Just say "I'm sorry, I'm really not well enough to sort out cover arrangements so I'm afraid I will need someone else to take responsibility for this."

I agree with @TeenLifeMum that it's a bit premature to be planning sickness tomorrow at lunchtime today.

Except you are planning to email them during your current working day so presumably saying you won’t do the work to arrange cover doesn’t stack up?

As a manager I’m a bit suss if people can tell during a day they are at work that they will be too sick tomorrow unless they start vomiting etc.

Just phone in as usual tomorrow morning and if they ask you to spend time arranging cover say no I’m sick that’s why I can’t work although I’d offer to forward any relevant info that the cover person would need then turn your phone off.

Are you working today, OP?

If you are, and if there is a legitimate reason why you can predict that today that you won't be well enough to work tomorrow, then why not sort out the cover this afternoon?

Thanks everyone.

We don't have a policy that we have to ring in - just to make contact before 9am.

Sorry, I should've been clear - I am giving myself this afternoon/evening to see if I feel any better. But I know I won't - when I get a cold/flu bug it plays out exactly the same way every bloody time and has done since I was a teenager. I've got a sore throat and headache at the minute, I know I'll be a hacking, chesty mess tomorrow.

Yes, technically working but working from home so taking it easy.

If you're a teacher then you have to phone in sick before 7:30 am and email cover work in for all of your lessons before 8 am. That's at least an hour of work whilst you're already feeling ill. So not unheard to make you do work when you're off sick. Not saying it's right but you're not the only one!

I think that email sounds OK.
You shouldn't be arranging cover when you're off sick but equally policie and procedures should be in place (e.g. work documented somewhere) so that people can pick up.
It wouldn't work in my job, as we all have our own areas of expertise if I go off sick for a short time the work just gets postponed.

WFH doesnt stop you sorting out your cover though? Or does “technically working” mean…not really working? If you are ill today call in sick the rest of the day?

I have to message the office by 3pm the day before I’m sick- which I find very odd.

I'd probably tell the team that I was feeling exceptionally rough today and that if it gets worse, and I'm not in, then X, Y and Z needs to be done but A, B and C can wait. And then send that to my manager saying I'll update them first thing how I am.

I'd be proactive and cancel the activities, letting those attending know it'd been postponed and that's the message - with new date - I'd be sending to the managers too.

I think that's shocking if it takes as long as an hour! If you were knocked over and in surgery that would not be possible.

I can't help but wonder if it's intentionally set up to make it hard to call in sick?

Thanks everyone - I just emailed yesterday morning and said I was too unwell to arrange various cover. Then logged off emails and left them to it.