Calling in sick to work

[The Shirker]

What do you think is a reasonable number of times to do it in a year?

Two guys I work with are always calling in sick (at least once a month). And I've noticed that whenever one calls in sick (or if I do when I'm legitimately at home ill in bed) the other one will call in sick the next day or the day after. It's like they're trying to out-do each other.

I work in an office setting so it's not like their calling in really screws me or anything (I don't have to do their work in their absence) but it bugs me that they do it so often when I know 100% that they're not ill. I've overheard them making plans in advance for the day that they magically wind up sick.

I'm surprised no one in HR keeps track of this stuff or says anything to our Boss. It can't be standard to have over 20 sick days a year (unless you're a teacher or gov't employee :D).

[Montague]

Happens in every workplace.

You get some people that do that and you get others that are real "eager beavers" (ie work "off the clock").

Many times it sorta "balances" out. :razz:

[lip1978]

I'm allowed 5 paid sick days. I think HR notices when it's over 5-7, or if there's a pattern of sick days on Mondays or Fridays.

[ronny1980]

Reasonable number of times to call-in sick is the number of sick days you have.

I have 6 sick days a year and I try to use them up as they don't carry over anyways.

[rangermcfadden]

Tell them to wash their hands more often.

[gman]

I have 6 sick days a year and I try to use them up as they don't carry over anyways.
:confused: :confused: Abuse of the system??

[The Shirker]

Tell them to wash their hands more often.

That's good advice for people who actually get sick often. The reason I started this thread is because one of the guys sent an email to the admin lady and myself about 30 minutes ago saying "leaving early - not feeling well" and he waltzed right out of here.

It just so happens that our boss is away on a business trip today. :rolleyes: I'm positive if my boss was here, this guy wouldn't have left. I also spoke to him all morning and he never once said he wasn't feeling well and he looks and sounds normal. I asked him on his way out if he was coming down with the flu or something and he said 'No - I just feel, oh I don't know, run-down". Well hell, I feel run down too. Maybe it's from getting up early and coming to work for a solid 9 hours every day. :mad:

[me!]

i think the average sick days per year per employee ranges from about 6 to 14 days. so 1 day a month really isn't out of the ordinary. but you have to consider how many sick days YOUR company's employees take per year.

I haven't taken a sick day this year yet. Man this feels gross. >:(

[MizTEcK]

That's good advice for people who actually get sick often. The reason I started this thread is because one of the guys sent an email to the admin lady and myself about 30 minutes ago saying "leaving early - not feeling well" and he waltzed right out of here.

It just so happens that our boss is away on a business trip today. :rolleyes: I'm positive if my boss was here, this guy wouldn't have left. I also spoke to him all morning and he never once said he wasn't feeling well and he looks and sounds normal. I asked him on his way out if he was coming down with the flu or something and he said 'No - I just feel, oh I don't know, run-down". Well hell, I feel run down too. Maybe it's from getting up early and coming to work for a solid 9 hours every day. :mad:


^chill, if we are entitled to get paid not working for a certain amount of days a year... why should u not use them... its like using the 150% PM thing staples had... u can NOT use it and be perfectly well... then u have us RFDers.. :D

[dalion]

LOL your funny. Don't think for one minute that HR doesn't notice this I'm sure they do. There are ppl at my JOb that do the exact same thing. Once this girl called in sick because AND I QUOTE "her tummy hurt" admin sent her a memo LOL ahh ppl are funny


That's good advice for people who actually get sick often. The reason I started this thread is because one of the guys sent an email to the admin lady and myself about 30 minutes ago saying "leaving early - not feeling well" and he waltzed right out of here.

It just so happens that our boss is away on a business trip today. :rolleyes: I'm positive if my boss was here, this guy wouldn't have left. I also spoke to him all morning and he never once said he wasn't feeling well and he looks and sounds normal. I asked him on his way out if he was coming down with the flu or something and he said 'No - I just feel, oh I don't know, run-down". Well hell, I feel run down too. Maybe it's from getting up early and coming to work for a solid 9 hours every day. :mad:

[gman]

^chill, if we are entitled to get paid not working for a certain amount of days a year... why should u not use them... its like using the 150% PM thing staples had... u can NOT use it and be perfectly well... then u have us RFDers.. :D
You are entitled to get sick and not work. That's why it is called 'sick leave' and not vacation.

[dalion]

I agree but you can't be leaving your job early because "you feel run down" thats an obvious cop-out and I mean really if your mature enough to get a job i'm sure your mature enough not to call in stating that "your tummy hurts"




You are entitled to get sick and not work. That's why it is called 'sick leave' and not vacation.

[B40]

Sick days are great, sometimes you just need a day off to get away from all the stress.

Sometimes you just know you're not going to get any work done, so why even bother going to work? Better to take the day off and go in fresh the next day and have a productive day.

If a company allows you a certain number of sick days a year, I would also use them all up... companies are even starting to give a certain number of days off for sick days or just to run errands or to take a day off..forgot what they're calling this.

[ylikone]

Most places I've worked, the bosses and managers are often away more for being "sick" than any of the employees!

[me!]

You are entitled to get sick and not work. That's why it is called 'sick leave' and not vacation.
i think that is just as beneficial to the company as it is to you. the company doesn't want u spreading your germs tothe entire staff, or you making fatal accounting mistakes because you were too drowsy to add up the numbers correctly.

[Shaner]

You are entitled to get sick and not work. That's why it is called 'sick leave' and not vacation.

Relax Hitler. If a company gives an employee a certain amount of sick days per year, then that employee is entitled to use those days off. If those sick days don't carry over to the next year, I would use them up too. Where I work, I get 17 sick days per year, but they carry over to the next year.

It's not abuse of the system, not at all. Those sick days are given to the employee to use when needed. It really shouldn't concern other people whether someone uses all or none of their sick days. That's their personal choice and is none of your business.

[The Shirker]

^chill, if we are entitled to get paid not working for a certain amount of days a year... why should u not use them... its like using the 150% PM thing staples had... u can NOT use it and be perfectly well... then u have us RFDers.. :D

Well that's the thing - my work doesn't set out a number of paid sick days. If they did I wouldn't mind so much. I just get tired of sitting here when my coworkers are at home watching major sporting events with their buddies when they're supposedly sick (this happened with the day games during the NCAA basketball tournament last year).

[ronny1980]

:confused: :confused: Abuse of the system??

Somewhat.

I wouldnt call-in sick and then go party but if I feel really burnt out that day or mentally drained then yes I would call-in sick.

[MizTEcK]

Well that's the thing - my work doesn't set out a number of paid sick days. If they did I wouldn't mind so much. I just get tired of sitting here when my coworkers are at home watching major sporting events with their buddies when they're supposedly sick (this happened with the day games during the NCAA basketball tournament last year).
then start doing the same :) or rat them out and get gang owned... :lol:

[me!]

Somewhat.

I wouldnt call-in sick and then go party but if I feel really burnt out that day or mentally drained then yes I would call-in sick.
I kinda know when people are faking it and when it appears legit. Sometimes they call in to me! and tell me! they are sick. sometimes they let our reception staff know and pass the message on to me!

it gets quite obvious when it is combined with a long weekend, right before or right after their vacation for an extra day or two.

word of advice, if you are going to do it don't do :arrowu: those times.

[ronny1980]

If you have unused sick days my company allows them to be transferred to vacation days. :)

[jamura]

Do you know why your company doesn't have a set number of sick days per year? If it bothers you this much, why don't you talk to your boss or HR person about it? On the flip side, seeing as your colleagues' absences doesn't result in more work for you, why don't you just ignore it? I could see you getting upset if you had to work more, but since you don't, and you obviously don't want to speak to anyone in management about it, just ignore it!

I agree with everyone whose days don't carry over that you might as well use them. Have days designated as "sick days" is annoying if you haven't actually been sick much during the year, so my previous company got around this by designating all days off as PTO days (personal time off). Whether you were sick or on vacation didn't matter, you just weren't at the office. But at my present company we get 5 sick days, so I'm definitely taking them! I've taken three so far this year, but I was only sick on two of them. Sometimes you just need that mental health day.

[B40]

I kinda know when people are faking it and when it appears legit. Sometimes they call in to me! and tell me! they are sick. sometimes they let our reception staff know and pass the message on to me!

it gets quite obvious when it is combined with a long weekend, right before or right after their vacation for an extra day or two.

word of advice, if you are going to do it don't do :arrowu: those times.

Yes, it is pretty obvious at those times, but sometimes you really are sick aka hungover :D

[me!]

Yes, it is pretty obvious at those times, but sometimes you really are sick aka hungover :D
yeah, but these people who call in on those times are the "hungover" type people.

They are just plain scammers.

[AAA]

You don't need to get sick to get sick leave. Once my big boss told me to use sick leave for doctor appts like check-up. I seldom take sick leave because I always make up the time. So chill out! Get your employee handbook out and read it over again.

[divx]

:confused: :confused: Abuse of the system??

6 sick days per year is reasonable

[Tiberius]

I actually know someone who has a co-worker who is "sick" (takes sick days) so much it works out to about 1.5 days a week!! On top of this, she will come in late, leave early (claiming she has meetings or whatever... OR!! Just stating outright that she has errands to run!! LOL), takes long breaks and extra long lunches, plays games on her computer all day, etc....

That's right... 1.5 days per week "sick"... and is only in the office maybe 2/3 of the time those other 3.5 days... and doesn't do work about half of that time...

So... that person is in the office at best 2.5 days a week... and works maybe 1-1.5 days worth of time...

OBVIOUSLY all the co-workers notice this... the management is inept and does nothing about it... it's killing employee moral... people in other departments joke about this person if they are booked into a meeting, etc... (what's the point... they'll be "sick" and it will get cancelled, etc.)

Abusing the system has obvious negative implications... but the biggest can be the huge impact it has on employee moral. The "good" employees start to question why they are busting their butts all day when they could just be staying home, etc... it leads to more people abusing the system, and just generally not liking their work environment. Little things become big things if management doesn't address them...

[B40]

6 sick days per year is reasonable

I try to keep it to once every 3 months, real or not.

There's lots of holidays and look weekends already, so you don't need that many sick days.

[Shaner]

I try to keep it to once every 3 months, real or not.

There's lots of holidays and look weekends already, so you don't need that many sick days.

I work in a place that never closed (it can't, it's not possible). I work weekends, midnights, long weekends, holidays, xmas, new years, boxing day, etc.

I need all the sick days I can get. I don't get extra time off, ever!

[The Shirker]

You don't need to get sick to get sick leave. Once my big boss told me to use sick leave for doctor appts like check-up. I seldom take sick leave because I always make up the time. So chill out! Get your employee handbook out and read it over again.

Our employee handbook actually says if you get ill during the day (like what supposedly happened today) you only have two options - go to one of the wellness rooms on site or have someone from the company take you to the hospital, doctor or home. Doesn't say anything about sending an email to a secretary and then slipping out before anyone has even checked their inbox.

I guess the majority of people here feel you should take as much time off, whether justified or not, as you can get away with. If I ever run my own company, I'll be sure not to hire RFDers :lol:

[The Shirker]

Abusing the system has obvious negative implications... but the biggest can be the huge impact it has on employee moral. The "good" employees start to question why they are busting their butts all day when they could just be staying home, etc... it leads to more people abusing the system, and just generally not liking their work environment. Little things become big things if management doesn't address them...

That's exactly it. I get nothing for working hard and being honest with my sick days. And the longer I work here, the more resentful I become. I think I need to take a long vacation (or schedule a fake medical procedure to get a week of "sick leave" like everyone else :P).

[ronny1980]

I guess the majority of people here feel you should take as much time off, whether justified or not, as you can get away with. If I ever run my own company, I'll be sure not to hire RFDers :lol:

How are you going to prove that the employee is actually not sick?

[Piccolo]

I have never called in sick when I am not actually sick. If I did the people I work with would get screwed since they would have to pick up the extra slack (working 12+ hrs etc.). When I do call in sick a doctor's note is a must.

[B40]

As for the OP's work place. I think this is what's happening...

Guy A is taking lots of days off and getting paid. Guy B says fu*k, I'm going to start taking days off too if nobody's saying anything. So whenever Guy A takes a day off, Guy B takes a day off with the reasoning/excuse that "I'm just taking as many days off as Guy A and no one has said anything to him"

Now that you know these guys are taking all these days off aren't you tempted to take a day off to whenever they do? ;)

[gman]

Relax Hitler. If a company gives an employee a certain amount of sick days per year, then that employee is entitled to use those days off. If those sick days don't carry over to the next year, I would use them up too. Where I work, I get 17 sick days per year, but they carry over to the next year.

It's not abuse of the system, not at all. Those sick days are given to the employee to use when needed. It really shouldn't concern other people whether someone uses all or none of their sick days. That's their personal choice and is none of your business.

If the employee called in and said "I am not sick but I want to use my sick day today" and the HR said okay, you are entitled to it. If you have to lie to get it, you are not entitled to it.

If the company policy is "Those sick days are given to the employee to use when needed", he is entitled to it.

If he is not entitled to it and his absence affects my works and worse, my performance, it is my business because it affects my business.

[me!]

there are always scammers in the system and they seem to get overlooked by management. it is the little guy who takes a sick day or two and gets grilled on it like a Chinese penetentiary. And then they get the evil eyes from mgmt all week long, where as the A-list people get carte blanche to take as many days off, come in late, leave early with the tacit "blessing" of the management/bosses.

that ticks me! off.

[wushumasterku]

I asked him on his way out if he was coming down with the flu or something and he said 'No - I just feel, oh I don't know, run-down". Well hell, I feel run down too. Maybe it's from getting up early and coming to work for a solid 9 hours every day. :mad:

then it's your turn to call in sick. go ahead, try it.

[wushumasterku]

I actually know someone who has a co-worker who is "sick" (takes sick days) so much it works out to about 1.5 days a week!! On top of this, she will come in late, leave early (claiming she has meetings or whatever... OR!! Just stating outright that she has errands to run!! LOL), takes long breaks and extra long lunches, plays games on her computer all day, etc....

That's right... 1.5 days per week "sick"... and is only in the office maybe 2/3 of the time those other 3.5 days... and doesn't do work about half of that time...

So... that person is in the office at best 2.5 days a week... and works maybe 1-1.5 days worth of time...

OBVIOUSLY all the co-workers notice this... the management is inept and does nothing about it... it's killing employee moral... people in other departments joke about this person if they are booked into a meeting, etc... (what's the point... they'll be "sick" and it will get cancelled, etc.)

Abusing the system has obvious negative implications... but the biggest can be the huge impact it has on employee moral. The "good" employees start to question why they are busting their butts all day when they could just be staying home, etc... it leads to more people abusing the system, and just generally not liking their work environment. Little things become big things if management doesn't address them...

and which company do you work for??

[B40]

I posted this question on another board and some guy says he gets 21 sick days a year....incredible, a full month considering you only work 5 days a week

http://www.crazoo.com/showpost.php?p=15373&postcount=9

[gman]

and which company do you work for??

Government?? ;)

[nubbie]

We get 5, any more than that gets taken out our vacation.

[Tiberius]

and which company do you work for??

It isn't someone where I work...

The person I described works doing one of the jobs that exists in a university environment...

[konfusion666]

I haven't taken a sick day this year yet. Man this feels gross. >:(


You poor child. I think you need to call in sick right away. You've obviously got a case of RFD sickness!

[bluetroll]

the secret is going for minor surgery....

[NLI10D]

i always like the "i'm having lower back pains" excuse when i call in sick.

[B40]

i always like the "i'm having lower back pains" excuse when i call in sick.

How about eye strain from surfing too much porn the night before?

[Emancipated]

How about eye strain from surfing too much porn the night before?


You obviously speak from experience. :twisted:

[Shaner]

Some people need more time off than others.

I get 17 sick days per year, 5 family related rest days and 15 vacation days, so a total of 37 days per year. I wish I had more though.

But the difference is I have to babysit murderers and rapists who yell at me and threaten me every day. It takes it's toll after a while.

[B40]

You obviously speak from experience. :twisted:

I've never used eyestrain, but stiffness in my right forearm.

[Audiogenic]

Full time employees with benefits are doing their companies a diservice when they don't take sick days. They are already accounted for in your benefits package and you actually cost your company money when you don't take any.

[Keelie]

in the 6+ years i've worked at my present job, i think i've called in sick 3 times? 4 tops.

i can book time off whenever i need it, which i usually do in advance.

i've never called in sick at any job i've had when i'm not actually sick.

[gman]

Full time employees with benefits are doing their companies a diservice when they don't take sick days. They are already accounted for in your benefits package and you actually cost your company money when you don't take any.

Huh!!?? Are you talking about you are sick but not taking sick leave? Or, you don't take sick leave because you are healthy the whole year?

If you are talking about latter case, please explain how that will cost company money.

[Emancipated]

Huh!!?? Are you talking about you are sick but not taking sick leave? Or, you don't take sick leave because you are healthy the whole year?

If you are talking about latter case, please explain how that will cost company money.


I think it means the sick pay is paid for in the insurance, but if you work, the company pays; thus making the "paid" for days useless.

[insanity]

Has anyone seen the t-shirt that says "I've run out of sick day's, so I'm calling in dead" ? I used to get a laugh out of that. :)

[gman]

I think it means the sick pay is paid for in the insurance, but if you work, the company pays; thus making the "paid" for days useless.
I don't know if a lot of company using that insurance, at least, mine does not. In that case, may be the company should expand their days of sick leave and enourage them using them in the meanwhile only giving employee minimum vacation. Would that be better for insurance to pay for 'vacation' indirectly too?? :confused:

[The Shirker]

OMG - the same guy at my work who left at 11AM on Wednesday because he was "feeling run down" called in sick today (a Friday no less!). This week he was only at work for the equivalent of 2.25 days. :evil: I suddenly feel a major illness coming on *sneeze* *cough*

[gman]

OMG - the same guy at my work who left at 11AM on Wednesday because he was "feeling run down" called in sick today (a Friday no less!). This week he was only at work for the equivalent of 2.25 days. :evil: I suddenly feel a major illness coming on *sneeze* *cough*

That guy definately should not go to work because it seems he passed the germ to you. Wait! He passed the germ to you when he is not at work. ;)

[springroll]

i always like the "i'm having lower back pains" excuse when i call in sick.

My old boss used that one a lot, he said it's from playing golf so much. STOP PLAYING GOLF THEN!!!

[gman]

My old boss used that one a lot, he said it's from playing golf so much. STOP PLAYING GOLF THEN!!!

Do you really want your boss in the office?? ;)

[sleepyguy]

I usually don't unless I really need to... I am considerate though... If I feel I'm coming down with something I'm not gonna waltz in and infect co-workers. We don't have many sick days but HR doesn't enforce anything.

[me!]

the secret is going for minor surgery....
you can get up to 6 weeks at a time for that, and with the blessing of your doctor.

[spm24]

when i worked full time i used to call in sick or just take days off in the end i was just losing money then again some of those days i did things that i usally dont do . ( rock climbing, skydiving ) .

[gman]

you can get up to 6 weeks at a time for that, and with the blessing of your doctor.
I don't think you can get full pay for that even if the insurance covers that.

[me!]

I don't think you can get full pay for that even if the insurance covers that.
yes, depending on your company. full pay, provided y ou have enough sick days.

[gman]

yes, depending on your company. full pay, provided y ou have enough sick days.
6 weeks of sick days at a time. Wow!

[me!]

6 weeks of sick days at a time. Wow!
6 weeks is nothing.

I know a fed govie friend of mine who has 48 weeks of untapped sick days.

[gman]

6 weeks is nothing.

I know a fed govie friend of mine who has 48 weeks of untapped sick days.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!

8 times.

[me!]

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!

8 times.
yeah, that's my reaction too when he told me! no wonder nothing gets done in government :rolleyes: