Calling in Sick

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When you call in sick, do you think it's fair that they ask you why? I mean, obviously, you are 'calling in SICK'... I called in today because I was basically feeling like crap, and I was a little surprised when the nursing director asked 'well whats wrong?' ( In our hospital we have a sick line, you dont speak to the charge nurse on your unit like in most hospitals I've seen )... Just wanting a little input on this one :)

Specializes in Almost everywhere.
Who pays for the ER visits?

We have to pay for a portion of it...not nice huh? This was the answer to discouraging calls from repeat offenders rather than deal with the small portion that this group consists of. It was always the same people, everyone knew who those people were including the mangmt. The housewide policy they felt was ineffective and so this is what we have to go through, just our floor which was the area with the most problem. I should add for clarification that the ER/Employee Health visit is at the supr. discreetion and authority otherwise a full time employee is allowed 3 occurances per calendar year, part-time is allowed 2 occurances on our floor. The supr still has the authority to have you come in to be checked, and for those of us who seldom ever call in...it is a pain. I have missed 2 shifts in the last 3 years, I fear the day I should ever have to call in and believe me I will be knocking on deaths door if that should happen, I am unhappy at the possibility that I may have to be seen in the ER. :uhoh21:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.
Ok What do you guys think of this: At my hospital we all get email, company info and whatnot. Recently our DON started listing all the people (nurse&CNA) that call in over the weekend. Is this legal? She then goes on to say that these people need to see their supervisor to schedule a "make-up" day.

I don't know this just seems really over the top to me. Im just waiting for the day my name is listed: Patty called in over the weekend with a yeast infection.

NOT COOL!! :uhoh3:

My facility tried that trick too. Trying to make people make up their weekend call off. That lasted about 6 months and as i remember NOONE ever made any of those weekend days up. It seems i remember it depended on who you were and what shift you called off as to whether you got called in to reschedule a day or not. They couldnt really justify that after a couple times of not implementing the rules for EVERYONE.

And Beary,, i dont know how they could justify making the employee pay part of the ER visit. If they require you to go to the ER, it should be considered worker's comp and they should pay any bill. They cant force you to go to see another doctor if its not life threatening if they arent paying for it.

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Specializes in OR.

When I was younger, working a non-healthcare job(retail) I had a guy boss that would grill you as to why you were calling in. When he asked me, I went into elaborate detail about my "menstrual difficulties" along with very detailed descriptions about cramps and "heavy flow". The funny thing was that wasn't even the problem-I just figured I'd teach him a lesson about asking prying questions. He never asked again.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
When he asked me, I went into elaborate detail about my "menstrual difficulties" along with very detailed descriptions about cramps and "heavy flow".

Saying the word "clots" is a good way to cut a "why are you sick" conversation short too lol.

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Specializes in Almost everywhere.
My facility tried that trick too. Trying to make people make up their weekend call off. That lasted about 6 months and as i remember NOONE ever made any of those weekend days up. It seems i remember it depended on who you were and what shift you called off as to whether you got called in to reschedule a day or not. They couldnt really justify that after a couple times of not implementing the rules for EVERYONE.

And Beary,, i dont know how they could justify making the employee pay part of the ER visit. If they require you to go to the ER, it should be considered worker's comp and they should pay any bill. They cant force you to go to see another doctor if its not life threatening if they arent paying for it.

Well, somehow they justify it because it has happened. A coworker of mine had to pay her portion which was about $200.00. Does that make it right? No, I would say not and I feel that we are being punished for something that a handful of people were doing...I think this also encourages people to come in sick when really for the sake of others picking up their germs they shouldn't be there and they have more than the know how needed to determine that they are sick and not having to explain it. This is just one of the ridiculous things that go on at my place of employment...no one has challenged it because we stand around with our heads in the sand and hope that we never have to call in. And that it only applies to our floor...OMG...it's high time for one of us...I'm thinking me...to say this is not right, you can't do this and why can't the ones that created things to come to this be reprimanded???? :angryfire

I totally agree with you Meow...totally agree..thank you for pointing that out!

I'm getting very bitter and I apologize for getting off topic. :imbar

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Specializes in Almost everywhere.
Saying the word "clots" is a good way to cut a "why are you sick" conversation short too lol.

:yeahthat: Thanks Marie...that made me laugh allthoughbeit true...I was getting waaaay too crabby! :trout:

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Isnt it actually illegal for them to demand a reason?? And for the person who is forced to pay for an ER visit, that HAS to be illegal!! Do they take it out of your check?? I would check with your state labor board!! I bet they would LOVE to hear that one!!

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

I now have a better understanding why it's frowned upon to ask the reason for calling in---HIPPA--it just didn't seem to apply to employees much 15 or so yrs ago when I was working LTC. It was pretty much a rule set by our DNS that as nsg supervisors, we needed todocument the reason for the call-in, and oftentimes suggest medical interventions(Pepto Bismol) and then a suggestion for the person "to come in anyway." !!!!!

It is only human that we will get ill from time to time, but often it is abused. Although I rarely call in myself because it's maddening for others to have to find a replacement, sick time is VERY abused at my current job, most often by the "techs" more than by the nurses although we do have a few "chronic callers". You see, everyone accrues 8 hrs' of sick time every month....so 96 hrs a year of sick time! I'd say more than half of the staff make sure they take that 8 hrs' too---often times as a 3-day weekend! Another problem is this: one doesn't HAVE to say "I'm sick"; usually the caller says"Oh, I won't be in today." There are definite patterns to be seen too, but the supervisors' hands are tied because the union protects! People have to be in "lost time" for quite awhile and the supervisors have to go thru 5-6 steps of disciplinary action before an employee can even be considered to be fired for abusing sick time! Recently because people(typically those who abuse it are the complainers) have made a stink about being in "lost time", the union is now considering allowing those in "lost time" (or who have no sick time) to use vacation time or comp time to cover the time off!!!!!

It's just appalling to me but then that's because when I was in LTC you earned 2-3 hrs' sick time per month, NOT 8, and if you set a "pattern" of calling in, you were fired.

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our call off slips have reason listed on it. When I ask I'll get Im sick, sons sick family emergency, ect I don't ask for alot of details. I have actually had one nurse tell me I am exhausted from yesterday working the floor. hey its a good reason if you are that tired you could make major mistakes. I never give any one a hard time you lose alot at our place to call off we have an attendence bonus and you lose it for the 2 week period for 1 call off, you really hurt yourself:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Long Term Care.
:angryfire :nono:

If you're complaining loudly when people call off you are creating a hostile work environment and invading their privacy even more than your employer. I'm sure people have good reason when they call off just like you did... It's not your place to judge them!

Okay, I don't complain loudly, I grumble under my breathe and frown alot. It doesn't do any good to complain anyway. We are so short that the staff that call off consistently are never done anything to.

I totally understand when self, kids or family really are sick or the weather is really bad and it isn't safe to drive, but to just call off b/c you don't feel like working today you'd rather go to the bar and drink is a completely different matter. ( I saw another nurse who I knew was supposed to be at work that night going into a bar. When I got to work I was told she called off. After work, I was having a beer with my bf at same bar and she was getting trashed.) That really :angryfire b/c then I end up having at the very least a third more work to do, and I already have thirty-two residents to care for as it is. So, at this point it would be a blessing if the individuals left and didn't come back. Then maybe we could hire some people who would come to work as they were contracted.

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Specializes in Corrections, neurology, dialysis.
If soemone's really rude and pushing for a reason, i'm likely to get graphic on the symptoms. Color, consistency, frequency, smell, and of course my personal favorite details, the backpain from sitting on the toilet and leaning over puking in the trashcan at the same time, and the dwindling supply of TP.

(People usually don't ask anymore after that).

That is exactly what I would do! I love it.

I also love the suggestion about "clots", but I promise you if I ever need to use that one, I will be so very graphic, and laborous in my explanation, that will very much regret that they asked.

I would turn into one of those folks obssessed with their illness and symptoms and go on and on about my symptoms for 15 minutes. :idea:

"Well it started out as a cramp in my leg. Then it felt like my hair was getting thinner than normal. Pretty soon I noticed that one of my pupils was bigger than the other one and my hands were swollen up like biiiiiiiiiig balloons......"

You get the idea.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

The reason why they ask is that it discourages people from calling in if they feel they have to 'justify' it.

If they said, "feel better!" and hung up and made it a cheery, easy thing, then it would be 'easy' to call in. It doesn't make sense, from management's perspective, to make it 'easy'.

So asking why is a 'gut check' for you. Are you sick enough to answer that question?

As far as being forced to seek medical treatment in order to call in: that cannot be legal. Your employer cannot force you to seek medical treatment, cannot then force you to pay a portion of a hospital mandated procedure. -- in order to use 'sick leave'.

THAT would be a bigger violation of HIPAA than asking what is wrong.

Simply put, sick leave is a function of hospital/facility HR policies. They cannot make you do more than what is written in POLICY; and they would not add to policy a directive such as requiring treatment/co-pays to call in sick.

Why would they not write that into the policy? Because it would invite legal action. See, employers are not required to provide paid sick leave, but many do, because it is a benefit that most people look to find with an employer. ONCE THEY DO offer sick leave, they have to do so in a 'fair' and equal manner.

Simply put, if they OFFER paid sick leave, yet make actually using that leave more costly than unpaid leave: they have, in effect, misrepresented a benefit and could suffer from legal recourse.

So, the first thing I would ask is to see the policy. If it isn't there, it isn't required behavior. If it IS there, and its implementation costs ANY employee more than they would make by working the shift, then it becomes MORE punitive than UNPAID sick time. At that point, FMLA act of 1993 comes into play.

It's illegal to make people PAY to call out sick. Employers don't have to pay you to be out; but they cannot make it more costly then 'unpaid' leave because unpaid leave IS protected by Federal Law.

~faith,

Timothy.

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