Good Excuses for Missing Work

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Jan 25, 2014

I don't think it's anyone's business why I'm calling off, personally. The company should use their attendance policy and enforce it, and it shouldn't be a problem. I don't care if your car, your house or your dog is on fire, if you're pregnant and sick, hung over and sick, diseased and sick. If you can afford a day out under your policy far be it from me to find out what your problem is - if you abuse it, you will pay for it. I have been in staff meetings with the managers where they list the call offs by unit and tell what was wrong with them, in detail. One manager couldn't come to the meeting that day and texted to another manager that he had two employees out with "the shuts," and the manager READ IT TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM. I don't know about you, but it's none of administration or management's concern and they don't need to hear that I have diarrhea. I haven't called off since February 2012, but when they ask what's wrong with me, my answer is usually "I can't come to work."

NottaSpringChik, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

This reminds me of my daughter's story of when she was pregnant and worked in a customer call center. The boss came up to counsel her about excessive absences during her pregnancy and she threw up into a trash can right in front of him.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

Many years ago, I had developed gastropariesis right after I had started a new job. I didn't want to look bad but I was late every day because I was pulling off the side of the road puking. Then I would run into work late, and straight to the bathroom to puke. I puked all of the time with it. Finally, it just got so bad my doc was like you cannot possibly keep working like this. So I got an 8 week leave of absensce. The day I came back from the leave, I got a kidney stone. By boss was so mad at me. So about a month after that, I got pregnant and then I quit. They probably hated me there. But the position I was in had unlimited sick days. And I was really, really, sick.

ComeTogether, LPN · Jan 25, 2014

imintrouble said:
This might not fit the cartoon, but it made me think of it.
Many, many yrs ago, I found the family pet who had been missing for a day.
He was dead, and I was devastated. I knew my husband couldn't come home from work just because our dog died, but I called him anyway. I was so sad.
When he showed up an hr later, I asked how he was able to leave. He told his boss that a close friend of the family had died and he needed to go home.
It was the truth, although "Fido" was more than our friend.

If my fur child dies shortly before my shift I promise you I won't be there. They really are family, despite what some people say. I don't blame your husband one bit. ?

ckm2 · Jan 25, 2014

Hey folks legally you do not have to give a reason its called HIPPA.

On the lighter side, one night when I was in charge someone called in to be off because they needed to have their hamster checked for diabetes! Really?

wooh, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

ckm2 said:
Hey folks legally you do not have to give a reason its called HIPPA.

HIPAA doesn't apply.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

I work PRN and set my own schedule....no need to call in. BUT, when my healthy-as-a-stallion dad had a heart attack recently, it might as well had been me. I left work as soon as I heard and did not return until he was discharged...longest week of my life!!

poppycat, ADN, BSN · Jan 25, 2014

Just 3 days ago I called in because I had a car accident on my way in for my shift. Some guy decided to make a right turn from the left lane 10 feet in front of me. He also thought it wise to leave the scene before police arrived.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

redhead_NURSE98! said:
I don't think it's anyone's business why I'm calling off, personally. The company should use their attendance policy and enforce it, and it shouldn't be a problem. I don't care if your car, your house or your dog is on fire, if you're pregnant and sick, hung over and sick, diseased and sick. If you can afford a day out under your policy far be it from me to find out what your problem is - if you abuse it, you will pay for it. I have been in staff meetings with the managers where they list the call offs by unit and tell what was wrong with them, in detail. One manager couldn't come to the meeting that day and texted to another manager that he had two employees out with "the shuts," and the manager READ IT TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM. I don't know about you, but it's none of administration or management's concern and they don't need to hear that I have diarrhea. I haven't called off since February 2012, but when they ask what's wrong with me, my answer is usually "I can't come to work."

You are right. People deserve their privacy.

Sometimes people volunteer much more than I want to know.

However, I do want to know if this is flu related, or anything contagious.

if it's a late call, I want a detail or two. If you got sick suddenly, going to the ER, labor, etc. that's one thing. But if you've known for the past 12 hours you weren't coming in, that's another.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

That Guy said:
You have to say catastrophic (diarrhea) or they wont believe you.

I think "explosive" would work too.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

T.H.R.N. said:
I like to label it explosive diarrhea.

lol, I read this (on page 2) a second after I posted the same thing. Great minds think alike.

nursefrances, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2014

A little different but I needed to go on light duty with my first pregnancy. Light duty halfway through a pregnancy, to me this means something is wrong, the doctor found an abnormality (which he did) and wants to play it safe. I explained this to my manager (a high power business woman with no kids-I learned this fact that day). The first words out of her mouth when I handed her the note was..."What do you MEAN...'light duty'?!?" Thanks for your concern for my welfare.