ALT-3 Call in Sick Dos and Donts
I grew up with the never miss school or work attitude drilled into my head. Also doctors visits, but that's another story. I spent some time getting over this syndrome for several years.
I was also taught never to lie. So many people feel lies are justified. Depending on your character and integrity, calling in dead, I mean sick has a few do's and don'ts.
Never have someone call in for you, unless it's a real emergency. This is an ultimate no-no in my book. My daughter tried to get us to call in and I refused. It is your responsibility.
Once I became an adult, I realized that I could be in charge of my work schedule not my boss. Many companies have PTO, paid time off benefits and it makes sense to use them, we all need a break. It is OK to play hooky when your stressed.
If you allow yourself to operate out of the adult part of your personality and not your child or parent, you can make better judgment calls about sick days.
Do call in when you are really sick and possibly contagious. A job with public contact requires scrutiny when deciding whether to miss a day of work. So does your economic situation and personal loyalty standards. Some people never miss work.
Don't use some one else's sickness as yours. What I mean by this, if your child is sick then say so, don't make your illness up. The reason, it can backfired, flu bugs go through the house.
Don't wait till the last minute. Usually you know in plenty of time if you won't be able to work. It is polite, honest and shows integrity to give as much notice as possible.
Do get someone to cover your job, if applicable. Teachers for example need a substitute for their classroom. The personnel department or your boss have a scheduling job to maintain. In my experience it pays off to be thoughtful.
Not to be trite, but honesty is the best policy. When I was young and naive, I got caught. This can happen, some one sees you at the mall when you called in sick. Then you have explaining to do.
Most everyone gets ill sometime during their work career. Know your companies call-in procedure. Some have a two hour before shift rule, or speaking only to a manager. There are even requirements for doctor notes.
Depending on your job duties, you might be able to handle going in with a minor aliment. And then there is always the LE, as in leave early. This believe it or not is sometimes a better choice.
It is a sad state of affairs when you have to prove your sick to get a day off, but it happens. Do consult your adult self and make a responsible, honest decision about calling in sick. I have gotten paid unexpectedly for missed work and was pleasantly surprised.
