NWR When do you call in sick?

I have to be either extremely feverish or unable to stay away from the toilet too long.

I usually wait until that morning to call off. There have been a lot of times I don't think I feel well and feel fine once I sleep. I usually warn somebody the night before though that I'm waiting to see how I feel in the morning.

But either I'm extremely sick, someone died, or there was something really really really special I wanted to do but knew I wouldn't be approved the time off (I swear to God it only happened once my entire working career and it was to see Mumford and Sons to the worst employer I ever worked with).

Prior to two years ago I used to take days even if I wasn't totally sick but just starting to feel sick. I ended up using all of my sick days and then when I reallllllly needed them I didn't have them. I had a kidney stone that passed and a UTI at the same time, I ended up getting sepsis because the ecoli bacteria from the UTI got into my bloodstream when the kidney stone passed. I was in the hospital for a week with sepsis and ended up having to go on short term disability... Now I only use my sick days when I do really need it.

If I ever just need a day off, my boss is pretty good about letting me take a day as long as my work isn't suffering.

Unless I'm contagious I go in. Then when I'm there they see how miserable I am and force me to go home

I only call of if I physically can't get out of bed.

If I'm contagious at all. I'm prone to migraines, but I'll deal unless they're causing me to start throwing up (which happens a couple times a year).

I never call in. I hardly ever get sick. When I do I make them send me home. I don't know why I do though cuz we get a day and a half of sick leave every month on top of our monthly vacation days. Our work is so demanding and draining most of the time that I would hate making my coworkers come in on their day off just because I want to stay home. Although some of them do not have the same consideration.

ETA: Kathryn I wish I could call off due to weather HA! We can not use that excuse or law enforcement will be at our door step to escort us to work lol

I currently have 20 days of sick time banked. I usually will call out if I have extreme exhaustion (like I cannot physically get out of bed), if I have a cold....but I have in the past called out because I was so stressed at the amount of housework I had to do so I could get it all done.

I do enjoy my job, but sometimes my home health and personal health are far more important than anything on my work calendar.

I've used my sick time twice, once was because I was literally vomiting every 20 minutes for 12 hours and it was horrible.

The other time I was starting to feel like I was getting sick and could no longer stand stupidity so I went home early to avoid biting peoples heads off.

My work is incredibly generous with sick time, but we're busy so if we don't come in we know that our work will just be piling up waiting for us. I've so far only used my sick time when I had strep throat and was running a high fever, when I couldn't be further than 10 feet from a bathroom, and when I dislocated my finger and was in so much pain I couldn't concentrate.

They're also pretty generous with vacation time so I haven't had to use any sick leave for something other than an illness or a doctor's appointment.

I don't understand sick time. As a Supervisor, the last thing I want is for people to call out unexpectedly, especially when they are doing it to burn the time. When people have it they are going to use it. I would ask my employees to let me know if they were "coming down with something" so at least I had a heads up.

KD.... you don't ever just get sick? What do you mean you don't understand sick time? Do you always get a 24 hour heads up for the flu? Obviously based on these answers, the majority of people don't just burn their time.

It probably depends on where you work. I look at sick days as wellness days haha.. If I'm feeling run down or stressed I'll usually take the day off (if nothing major is going on) for a "Mental Health Day". Sit at home, relax and watch Netflix. I usually feel pretty refreshed the next day.

All of my PTO is combined (not separated into different categories like sick, vacation, etc.), so I try not to waste days unless I really need it. I rarely get sick anyway, and if it's just a cold or something minor like that I have the option of working from home instead of using a PTO day. Every so often I do just take a mental health day, though. But that's one of the benefits of combined PTO--you use your days as you see fit, so there's no need to lie about being sick or justify why you took a day off as long as you have the time accrued.

If I had STO I would definitely use it. If you are sick or just run down, you aren't going to be good for anyone. They give you the days for a reason. Take them. My employer gives you four weeks a year off to do what you want(they also include sick days). They give you that much so you don't get burnt out and actually enjoy your job and your home life.

In the 4 years I have worked with this company I think I have called in sick 2 or 3 times. They know that if I call I'm pretty much dying. I have friends that just call in to take a day off because they can, if I did my work would pile up too much.

I only call in if I have a fever. I actually get a lot where I work now, but my last company it was 5 days per year and I got them paid out if I didn't use them.

I might call in a couple of times for a day off, probably, just because I don't have much vacation time and I have huge things coming up like a move. It's unusual for me to do that, but I did at my last job just to burn them before I quit.

M - In my experience a PTO system where all the time is lumped together and time missed is deducted from that 'bank' is a better system. Under the 'lumped system' employees were able to schedule time off as needed and received more time off for VAC if they were healthier, which is a perk to come to work regularly (obviously could still call in, if sick).

Where we had the time divided - vacation, sick, personal, the employees would still exhaust the sick time. Not saying that people were not actually sick at times, but in my experience people just wanted/needed an extra day off without getting penalized. How do I know? They would tell me - I'm not super rigid with time and attendance. As long as you make your hours, i'm pretty much good on my end. Workplace cultures come into play as well as how strict management is with micromanaging time.

Feel better, M!

I'm a big baby, so if I feel like I'm starting to get sick, I call out and go to the doctor. I'm of the opinion that medicine, fluids and SLEEP are key to feeling better. The more sleep I can get the better.

With my kidney issues, there will be days that I'll wake up and can't move, so I call out, lay down on my heating pad, and sleep all day. I usually feel better the next day.

I rarely call in sick unless I can barely function or I have something super contagious that it would be inconsiderate if I exposed my students to it.

If I call in sick, I still have to write lesson plans-- so it's truly not even worth it. I used no sick days last year.

I called out today... I've been sick since Monday and today I woke up with pain in my abdomen... so I am going to the DR in an hour. It should have been easily covered, but little did I know that someone else called out too... I only call out if I really have to. I really feel horrible when I do. I have been working at my current job for over a year and have only called out twice.