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Sick Days

dukebound85

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Original poster
Jul 17, 2005
19,218
4,342
5045 feet above sea level
My company gives paid sick time. I have yet to use one in the 8 months ive been with them. Is it ok to use a sick day if I just don't feel like going in? A mental recharge day so to speak?

Or do I need to use a vacation day?

I guess my question is can sick days be used for the occasional, not want to go in, day?
 
I wouldn't claim a sick day as a day off ( but thats just me others might have another opinion). Our company has a policy in our contract any staff member who calls in sick either monday or friday has to provide a doctors certificate when they return to work.

This is done to prevent the "three day" weekend routine.

I know of someone that called in sick, saying he was bed ridden etc. About 2 hours later he is spotted by his boss moving house. Following day Fired
 
Sick days are for that, when you are sick.

As mentioned above, nothing worse than being out sick caught somewhere other than the hospital/clinic and your home. Gets real embarrassing, and you can be fired.

That said, if you don't feel up to par, nothing wrong with staying home sick for the day.
 
Duke,
Take the day. After all it is part of your benefit package.
Enjoy the day and go in Tuesday ready to go.

Taking a mental health day not only benefits you but the company as well.
While at Intel I worked a ton of 12 to 15 hour days and on call. After a major process excursion or tool down I usually took a mental health day, called in sick.
Sometimes I called in sick while playing ice hockey and sitting next to my boss on the bench waiting for the next shift. Yeah thats not the norm.

Call in, go out for breakfast, catch a movie then grab a burger and beer.
 
bruinsrme said:
Duke,
Take the day. After all it is part of your benefit package.
Enjoy the day and go in Tuesday ready to go.

Taking a mental health day not only benefits you but the company as well.
While at Intel I worked a ton of 12 to 15 hour days and on call. After a major process excursion or tool down I usually took a mental health day, called in sick.
Sometimes I called in sick while playing ice hockey and sitting next to my boss on the bench waiting for the next shift. Yeah thats not the norm.

Call in, go out for breakfast, catch a movie then grab a burger and beer.
Click to expand...


I'm thinking about it, I just want to do the moral thing. I didnt know if mental health days can be considered sick days

Last week was rough at work with alot of extra hrs so Im still feeling a tad burned out. However, if it's not considered right, I'll just go in I suppose

Since this is my first salaried job, I didn't know what the norm is in the sense regarding sick day utilization
 
Duke,
The last 6 weeks I worked
61
67
68
65
72
28 + 12 sick hours

I enjoyed the day.
Take it and enjoy.
 
dukebound85 said:
I'm thinking about it, I just want to do the moral thing. I didnt know if mental health days can be considered sick days

Last week was rough at work with alot of extra hrs so Im still feeling a tad burned out. However, if it's not considered right, I'll just go in I suppose

Since this is my first salaried job, I didn't know what the norm is in the sense regarding sick day utilization
Click to expand...

It's fine to take a mental health day every once in awhile--but make sure it remains a rare indulgence. You've had great attendance for the last 8 months so if you're stressed stay home.

I manage a group of 5 people and I don't mind one of them taking these days on occasion. I can usually tell when someone is actually sick or just burned out.
 
At work our Paid Time Off (PTO) includes sick and vacation days rolled up together, so it all comes out of the same bank.

If I'm feeling burned out I just ask a day off. We have part-timers to fill in (there's always someone who wants more hours). I'm doing that this week in fact.

I never call out sick unless I'm really sick. I would say burnout doesn't count unless you feel it will significantly affect your job performance. But if that's the case just ask for a few days off so your boss and coworkers can plan for the absence.
 
Here, let me give you some perspective:

Do you work for the man? Do you work hard? Do you rarely ever take a day off/call in sick? Are you a responsible human being? Do you just feel that you need a break?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, take the day off. Seriously, you're going to work your entire godamn life, might as well take a break. Your company OWES it to you.

I work for Corporate Express, err, well, Staples now. When Staples took over, they took all of our sick time and rolled it into vacation time (that we had to use by the end of this year) and gave us two sick days to last the last 7 months of the year. Ususally not an issue, except this year I got the flu, and bronchitis right on top of it. Now I'm completely out of sick days, and if I get the flu again, or if I get H1N1, I get fired. I had 70+ hours of sick time before they screwed us out of our time. Been there 3 effing years.

So more than anything, do it for ME.
 
dukebound85 said:
Since this is my first salaried job, I didn't know what the norm is in the sense regarding sick day utilization
Click to expand...

The norm doesn't count for squat in this case. Talk with your HR manager to see what company policy says about sick days. Follow company policy (best if it's in writing) that why they can't fire you for taking a sick day that adheres to company policy. Likes it's been mentioned above, some places let you take some down time to mentally recharge, others don't. Some require a doctor's note.:rolleyes: Hey, it's company policy, so not much you can do about it.:(
 
You may be allowed "Personal Days" off as well. My employer allows two per calendar year. They can be taken at any time with no notice and you are not even required to say why you need them. That may be an option for you as well. Check your H.R. policies / contract.

Otherwise don't stress about taking a "mental health day", nobody says you need to be coughing-up blood in order to be sick. In fact an old boss once encouraged me to take the occasional day off -- he said sometimes the best way to come up with a new idea is to NOT think about it. And he was right!

(But if you do call-in sick, stay home!)
 
Signal-11 said:
How is taking a sick day when you're not sick anything other than stealing the day's wages from the organization that's paying your salary?
Click to expand...

And how would it help the company if stress/depression/anxiety built up until it exploded and needed more time off?

A family friend used to slave away at work, never did overtime but worked damn hard. In the end he had a breakdown. Everything else in his life was good, just was never ill, never took holidays. Had to take 6 months off work before he was well enough to return.
 
raggedjimmi said:
And how would it help the company if stress/depression/anxiety built up until it exploded and needed more time off?

A family friend used to slave away at work, never did overtime but worked damn hard. In the end he had a breakdown. Everything else in his life was good, just was never ill, never took holidays. Had to take 6 months off work before he was well enough to return.
Click to expand...

That's what your vacation days are for. Or he could just be upfront and ask.

I find it ironic that a few of the posters on this thread who seem to think that taking sick days when they're not sick is okay are some of the ones who take a hard line on copyright infringement being theft/stealing.

Ethical behaviour is usually just a matter of convenience.
 
It's your time- take it. Just call and say you aren't coming in. I do it when need be. Sometimes the weather is great, and if I don't have anything pressing, I call in and say, "It's too damn nice outside, I'll talk to you tomorrow." That's why they're called personal days.

That said, my boss came to my desk with a piece of paper today. On it was all of the vacation time I have left this year- THREE WEEKS! :eek: She said, "Take a vacation, SOON." reason being is I can only roll over one of those weeks. So, I'm gonna take a week and have vericose vein surgery on my left leg, which I've been meaning to do for a long time. Then I will take another five Mondays off to give me three days weekends for a while (yes, we can do that).
 
dukebound85 said:
haha yea i know. im just not feeling the most motivated, even when i get off work, i slept 12 hrs yeaterday or the day before (i forget)...right when i walked in pretty much to when i got up to go back lol
Click to expand...

So, Dukebound, where in Colorado did you live? I'm in A-town (Aurora). Anyway, like I said man, if you REALLY need a day away from work, call in sick. It's extremely rare for me to do so, but maybe once a year or so I'm just like "eff it, I wanna sit around in my boxers and relax today."
 
Onizuka said:
So, Dukebound, where in Colorado did you live? I'm in A-town (Aurora). Anyway, like I said man, if you REALLY need a day away from work, call in sick. It's extremely rare for me to do so, but maybe once a year or so I'm just like "eff it, I wanna sit around in my boxers and relax today."
Click to expand...



Dude! Nice to see you here posting.
 
Onizuka said:
So, Dukebound, where in Colorado did you live? I'm in A-town (Aurora). Anyway, like I said man, if you REALLY need a day away from work, call in sick. It's extremely rare for me to do so, but maybe once a year or so I'm just like "eff it, I wanna sit around in my boxers and relax today."
Click to expand...

I lived in fort collins/loveland/windsor area for 10 years

i may just do that and soon
 
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