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toaster_oven

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 7, 2003
176
0
not sure
well... today's my birthday, plus we got a huge snow-storm yesterday (18 inches!), and my wife didn't have to go in today ... so instead of spending all morning digging out my car I decided to call in.

so - is this really playing hookie? should I have gotten up 2 hours early and dug out my car? should I have just gone in late? do I have a poor work-ethic? almost everyone else made it in today... anyway - i guess I shouldn't feel guilty about it...

I was wondering if anyone else did the same - called in on their birthday - just decided not to go in because it was too cold, too nice out, or whatever.


-to
 
toaster_oven said:
well... today's my birthday, plus we got a huge snow-storm yesterday (18 inches!), and my wife didn't have to go in today ... so instead of spending all morning digging out my car I decided to call in.

so - is this really playing hookie? should I have gotten up 2 hours early and dug out my car? should I have just gone in late? do I have a poor work-ethic? almost everyone else made it in today... anyway - i guess I shouldn't feel guilty about it...

I was wondering if anyone else did the same - called in on their birthday - just decided not to go in because it was too cold, too nice out, or whatever.


-to

When I was younger (maybe 15 or 16) I would do it...then again, I was making $5.50 an hour at the grocery store. I would do it to spend the day out if it was a balmy 75 degree day, or just to have.

Is this a career job? Or just something to get you by? I would think that if it's a serious career, you'd have thought more about it? When we got snowed in really bad in Chicago, I called into work saying I'd be late because I had to dig myself out.

different strokes for diffeent folks!:D
 
I don't think there it anythihng too wrong with doing that. My office has a liberal leave policy in effect today - and I think a lot of people took advantage of it. It's not like you bailed out on an important project b/c you just didn't want to go to work. Anyway, I wouldn't call it hookie.

But, maybe I have a bad work ethic too (although, I am at work).
 
It's only wrong if you feel like its wrong.

If your conscious is clear... you're in the home stretch.

From the sounds of it though... since you're asking, it might have been wrong.

:)

For the record though, sometimes I'll call in and just say the the secretary.. "I'm not coming in today." and she says "Okay..."

Then I don't have to feel bad.
 
Once in a while its ok to play hookie, but ive done it way too much(from school). This year I was 18% absent, now I have to go basically everyday until the end of the year just to graduate, once in a while its ok but dont over do it like me.
 
If everyone else made it in, then it's likely to reflect badly on you come payrise/promotion time. You couldn't have worked from home? Or arrived slightly later? Or if you knew you didn't want to go since it was your birthday, booked the day off?

I did make it into work today despite having blocked sinuses, sore ears, splitting headache, stiff neck and considering at half hour points whether to bother going in.

I made it til lunchtime at which point my brain was working through cotton wool and I was sneezing constantly so came home again. I doubt I'll make the effort tomorrow.
 
it's kinda a career job (in my field) - but I rarely, if ever, call in sick or take vacation time. I'm really not happy there, and if I felt more connected to the work I was doing, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about not going in. I work my rear off for those people and I've been feeling like I needed a break (someone once told me these were called "mental-health days"). It's probably not good taking a day off when we are so understaffed, but i was about to loose it.

I'll probably make up my hours this week anyway (I pull around 50-60 hours a week).
 
I think a birthday is a good reason to stay home.

But then again, birthdays at my office are always fun; we have cake, a little party, and sometimes all go out for lunch.

I can't remember the last time I've called in. The only time I really take off is 1 week during the summer when I go to the dunes/beach with my girlfriend.

I pretty much do at work the very same thing I'd do if I stayed home (minus World of Warcraft - but that's only because my work's PC isn't supported...LOL), only at work I have a T3 connection, so, it's almost more beneffecial for me to go to work :p
 
cr2sh said:
It's only wrong if you feel like its wrong.

If your conscious is clear... you're in the home stretch.
From the sounds of it though... since you're asking, it might have been wrong.
.

This may be a good rule for some, but I have an over active conscious - so I temper it by not asking myself "Is it right or wrong to take a day off" - instead I ask "Can I afford to use a personal day and can I afford not to be part of what is happening today?".
This helps me balance my work and home life.
 
i'm one of those people who feel guilty about calling in sick - so it's probably me just feeling overly guilty for something most people probably do all the time.

besides - i told them if they need me for anything, they can reach me at home... I already got one call this morning about a project I didn't know anything about. I think I might have been asked to print something out for that project once a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure whoever worked on it has been long gone (3 people have quit in the past 4 months - and my boss hasn't bothered to assign their projects to other people in the office - but that's a whole other story).

i'm glad i'm taking the day off. i really needed it. that place stresses me out.

-to
 
toaster_oven said:
so - is this really playing hookie? should I have gotten up 2 hours early and dug out my car? should I have just gone in late? do I have a poor work-ethic? almost everyone else made it in today... anyway - i guess I shouldn't feel guilty about it...

not really -- thats what personal days are for. birthday + snow day = awesome day to skip work. where do you live? eastern seaboard i'm guessing?
 
This one's tricky. I personally have the same problem that a lot of other people on MR seem to have in that I feel too guilty doing something like that. I have to have it officially scheduled to think that it's all right. Even when I call in sick I leave them my number where I can be reached "just in case."

However, I think what is most important is that you didn't leave anyone at work hanging by your not being there. I'd suggest the next time you do it (assuming there is a next time) to not lie about it and just tell them you're not coming in--if they don't require a reason no need to give them one. I think that will make the decision to stay home a bit easier to deal with.
 
toaster_oven said:
is this really playing hookie? should I have gotten up 2 hours early and dug out my car? should I have just gone in late? do I have a poor work-ethic?

As much as I like my job I like not being there more, if you had a good time who cares if you went to work. ;) Would of I done the same thing HELL YEAH! You get given paid days off you may as well use them for something good!
 
floriflee said:
This one's tricky. I personally have the same problem that a lot of other people on MR seem to have in that I feel too guilty doing something like that. I have to have it officially scheduled to think that it's all right. Even when I call in sick I leave them my number where I can be reached "just in case."

However, I think what is most important is that you didn't leave anyone at work hanging by your not being there. I'd suggest the next time you do it (assuming there is a next time) to not lie about it and just tell them you're not coming in--if they don't require a reason no need to give them one. I think that will make the decision to stay home a bit easier to deal with.

Actually - I just said I wasn't coming in today - didn't say i was sick - and I left a number I could be reached at in case something happened. I did have a moment thinking "oh crap - what did i just do - i've never done anything like this before" (that's why i panicked and posted on MR) - but i feel much better about my decision now. I probably won't do it again - but i'm glad I stayed home today.

it's interesting to hear how many people would feel guilty about doing this sort of thing...

-to
 
I usually call in the day AFTER my birthday. ;) And I have to call in at least once of month or I go crazy. And I am trying to get over the guilty feeling of calling in because I am literally sick to death of the people I work with. :(
 
macartistkel said:
I usually call in the day AFTER my birthday. ;) And I have to call in at least once of month or I go crazy. And I am trying to get over the guilty feeling of calling in because I am literally sick to death of the people I work with. :(

That sounds like a good idea... then at least you still get cake on the office's dime.... Smart thinking!

I would have hoped the guilty feeling would subside after calling in once a month. Too bad...
 
One time I called in sick. From France. ;)

toaster_oven said:
it's kinda a career job (in my field) - but I rarely, if ever, call in sick or take vacation time. I'm really not happy there, and if I felt more connected to the work I was doing, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about not going in. I work my rear off for those people and I've been feeling like I needed a break (someone once told me these were called "mental-health days"). It's probably not good taking a day off when we are so understaffed, but i was about to loose it.

I'll probably make up my hours this week anyway (I pull around 50-60 hours a week).

Shut up, turn off the computer, and enjoy your birthday with your wife. :)
 
Hooky is when you pretend to go (leave the house as though you're going) and then you don't go, like ditching. Since you called in, you didn't play hooky.

Also, today's Lincoln's birthday too, right? Or at least Lincoln's Day? I don't have school today, thanks to good old Honest Abe.
 
Guilt Free Time Off Is Coming Up!

Next Monday is President's Day (US of course) - so some of us get the day off work,,,,

(I figured this Monday is Vice Presidents day, which I guess means we all get a face full of shot gun pellets... ????:D )
 
ibook30 said:
(I figured this Monday is Vice Presidents day, which I guess means we all get a face full of shot gun pellets... ????:D )

Oh the joy of living in the public eye and having your every huge mistake mocked by the masses (assuming it WAS a mistake).

Still, next Monday makes me wish I worked for the government. Phooey...
 
I got off today because of the snow storm from school, but I'd say don't feel guilty about it, its your day to enjoy!
 
Abstract said:
One time I called in sick. From France. ;)

That reminds me of the time I called in sick saying I was stuck in Belgium* but had in fact just got back to London Stansted. As I was on the phone to my boss telling them this a message came over the tannoy saying "Dis is a messige from Essex police. Can you keep orl yer baggige wiv ya. Fanks very much." :p I suddenly developed a racking cough, and rudely didn't put my hand over the reciever....

*To be fair, I had been stuck in Belgium until roughly an hour before that.
 
cr2sh said:
If your conscious is clear... you're in the home stretch.

What? Am i dying?

ibook30 said:
This may be a good rule for some, but I have an over active conscious

What? Is your brain moving faster than time? Is your mind stretching past your body through the space-time continuum?


Conscience, people! I am conscious of my conscience. [/englishteacher].

asherman13 said:
Hooky is when you pretend to go (leave the house as though you're going) and then you don't go, like ditching.

The kids today call it "bunking." Stupid kids.


And for god's sake. Go to work or undermine capitalism entirely (join the revolution!). Let's not pretend there's a middle ground.
 
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