How often do you call out sick when you really aren't? (2013, careers)

[Marie Joseph]

I have 60 hours of sick time per year, separate from my vacation and personal time.

I generally will schedule sick time in advance and take it off like vacation.

I have to pretty much be dying to call off sick; I'd rather take off work when I'm feeling GOOD.

I have called off work unscheduled a couple of times in the past year when I simply didn't feel like going in.

[moneymkt]

Originally Posted by Marie Joseph

I have 60 hours of sick time per year, separate from my vacation and personal time.

I generally will schedule sick time in advance and take it off like vacation.

I have to pretty much be dying to call off sick; I'd rather take off work when I'm feeling GOOD.

I have called off work unscheduled a couple of times in the past year when I simply didn't feel like going in.

Exactly, nothing wrong with taking a day off and relaxing. The only negative about taking a sick day is still having to wake up early to let your supervisor know you won't be in that day. The next sick day I take will be a Thursday in December.

[brownbagg]

out of 33 years, have never miss a single day

[hunterseat]

Never. I have over 800 hours of sick leave built up.

[dallasgoldrush]

Originally Posted by BigDog811

Actually, many companies have done away with sick and vacation or leave time. They've combined them and redesignated it as personal time. Take it anytime you want, for any reason at all. Guilt free "me" days are perfectly acceptable. My wife's employer did that in the early 00's. It's up to the employee to manage their paid time off. But take too many unscheduled days off without an explanation and they read about it in the reliability section of their annual assessment.

Correct. This is what my current company does, and I love it. I get generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and I always schedule it well-in-advance. Do I take unscheduled PTO? Almost never. I haven't called out a single time in at least the last two years. I think Marie Joseph put it best:

Originally Posted by Marie Joseph

I have to pretty much be dying to call off sick; I'd rather take off work when I'm feeling GOOD.

Of course when I had an employer who separated sick time from vacation and gave use-or-lose sick days, I did what yellowsnow did:

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

We all had X sick days per year. And if I didn't get sick I used them like vacation.

Frankly the only times any of my employers have had to deal with my taking off a lot of unscheduled "me" time was when I was interviewing for other positions. I'm generally the perfect attendance cadet, so if after several years of always showing up I suddenly have multiple last minute call-outs, the employer should expect to see my notice shortly thereafter.

Is this also the case for others?

[Jeaniee]

Originally Posted by brownbagg

out of 33 years, have never miss a single day

how do you go to work sick? does your job involve physical labor?

just curious....

[addakisson]

I don't. My day is scheduled with people. So, when I call out, other people have to reschedule their day. That wouldn't be fair to them. I wouldn't put my wants above their needs and I wouldn't appreciate it if someone did that to me. I call out sick only when I am sick, which luckily is very rare. If I need time off, I plan it.

If I could take a "me" day without it affecting other people, or getting backed up, that would be different.

[Jeaniee]

The problem with accuring sick days is beyond a year or so, we cannot use it.

Maybe others have this limit also?

[svicious22]

Never, not even once in over thirty years. In fact I only recently took my first unplanned personal day in over five years.

[MissMischief]

We have PTO, so we can use that time for whatever we want - no lying is necessary. But that time off is precious. I plan when to have those days off, and I hate having to use them for illness - fortunately I'm rarely sick.