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 :)

I totally understand where you are coming from. Based on what I have read in this thread, it seems like many employers think that people can be just like Bruce Willis' character in the movie, Unbreakable, where he never got sick. If an employer offers sick days, then they have no business getting angry when someone needs to use them. Is there anyone out there who has never been ill? I have only had to call out sick three times in the past year, and I haven't gotten in trouble, but many other nurses/CNAs that I know have told me that they get the third degree whenever they call out: "What is the matter with you?" "You're calling out over a headache?" or even "If you call out, we'll be short." I have also heard them tell me that some employers think that they cannot possibly be sick if they showed up for work the day before since they appeared "healthy" that day. I know that some people may claim that they are sick when they are not, but that shouldn't mean that everyone who calls out sick is faking it, and deserves to be interrogated about their illness.

I work at a mental hospital, and there are other illness' besides medical. When I am medically sick it affects me mentally; I'm irritable and snap at whoevers is around both clients and co-workers. I am sick and need to be at home away from others. I will cause more problems if I come to work so I stay at home. Another is you can be sick of being at work.....::trout:

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Specializes in HH/LTC/WM.

I understand what you are saying but when I have plenty of staff untill someone feels that would just rather not work (and i am not talking about people who are sick!!!!) and all of a sudden we dont have enough staff, thats when things are crazy. Fact is I usually schedule more than I need and I still come up short alot of times. If you are sick you are sick!! But dont let me catch in walmart playing grab butt, with no symptoms with a 12 pack in the basket. I usually dont even ask what someone has, the dead silence of me not saying anything is usually plenty, and they start telling me whats wrong. The sad thing is the people who usually are mad that they are short handed are the same people that call in. And yes if you work on your days off you throw my PPD's in to the toliet unless I really need you. Thats when my boss says why is your PPD over and I have to hear it from them for an hour.

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I'm not sure that it is actually a HIPAA violation, as your employer has the right to gather statistical info on infectious diseases, to be aware of epidemic issues. The calls I love are "my wife has cramps" and "my horse has a cold" to "my dog is not well." :smiley_ab[/quot

To some people their dogs are like children... I wouldn't feel the least bit bad about calling in sick if my dog had an illness. We have to take care of our furry friends too ya know.:smackingf

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As a Nurse Manager, it is not required that an employee state their specific illness, nor do we ask. The staff must state reason for call-in though.

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It is amazing the amount of call-ins I have a month and the reasons people call-in. It floors me when people are offended when I ask questions. We take care of people. I need people to do that. My employees know there is a short list of others to call. I have had people call in for outrageously stupid reasons. I think everyone should spend some time in staffing so you will understand how it feels to have someone call in sick then see them out in public. Or when they brag to their co-workers about asking off and being told no but calling out anyway. You don't understand till you've been there. I have had to work many shifts for people after working my shift and wondering 'where they even sick at all?' There are two sides to this story for sure. God Bless, Barbara

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When a nurse calls in sick at our facility we have to ask if they have anything reportable. They keep track of contagious illnesses but we are not suppossed to ask for any other details.

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The bad part is that if you are still in orientation, you are also still on probation. It might be better to go to work, looking as bad as you feel and having them send you home when you are still on probation. I agree that employers are not allowed to ask why you are sick. If you are ill more than 3 days they can ask for a Dr. note but all it has to say is that you were under their care... not what is wrong with you.

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Specializes in LDRP.

i think i give up the reason i'm sick b/c i dont want the nurses looking down on me, thinking im faking it, or frustrated b/c they are working short b/c of me.

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It is amazing the amount of call-ins I have a month and the reasons people call-in. It floors me when people are offended when I ask questions. We take care of people. I need people to do that. My employees know there is a short list of others to call. I have had people call in for outrageously stupid reasons. I think everyone should spend some time in staffing so you will understand how it feels to have someone call in sick then see them out in public. Or when they brag to their co-workers about asking off and being told no but calling out anyway. You don't understand till you've been there. I have had to work many shifts for people after working my shift and wondering 'where they even sick at all?' There are two sides to this story for sure. God Bless, Barbara

You know that's all good that you are so professional, but there are a lot of nurses out there in the nursing world that are not. I have worked at places that sit around and gossip about those that call out and actually snub them when they come back to work....:wakeneo:

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Specializes in HH/LTC/WM.
what about this- my time is my time and my work has no right to ask me how i'm using it. esp in hospitals like mine with earned time. i've worked for that time! it's already mine! it is my sick/personal/vaca... none of your business! in institutions where they have set aside "sick" days, apparently the # of days you are granted is the # of days your employer feels it is reasonable for an employee to be out ill per year.

we call to our floor and speak with another RN who has to page house supervisor and let them know (so she can then say sorry- there's no float for you!). often people will give a reason. i have and i have not. when taking a sick call though, i just tell people "feel better" and "see ya when i see ya!" it isn't my business, and it isn't my responsability to chase people down and shame them for using their time that they have either earned or been promised in a package of benefits.

does it leave us short? you bet. but as long as we keep martyring ourselves and working while ill or having a big taboo about taking personal days the culture that expects nurses to be unreasonably self-sacrificing will never change.

me and my family come first. if i bend myself out of shape to do the hospital favors, the only one who will remember it is my son who will remember that i wasn't there for him!

Right there!! Really want to work with you: "Sorry man wont be in today, They have a special on Opra that I really want to see" Its not cool to leave your co-workers short...unless you or your kid is sick. What you just described to me is abuse of benifit setup to help people if they are sick, and I do not know of any company who has sick/personel days and Vacation days in the same sentence. Sick and Personel days are set up for when you or a family member, I dont know....mabe sick, not because you have something better to do that day or your just having a dam the man day. Vacation days are set up probably when you would like to take a three day weekend or a week off without putting YOUR PT. AND CO-WORKERS in a crappy situation. As for "favors". Its not a favor to do your job and be a dependable employee. Its a JOB you WORK at a JOB. I have worked in many other fields other than nursing, and every job I have worked at has expected the same thing. One more thing, your employer pays you to be the person I mentioned above and nothing else. If you dont think you can be that person then save everyone some time and stress and go work at McDonalds. They probably wont miss you on the grill, everyone likes meatless hamburgers.:lol2::uhoh21::devil::angryfire:trout:

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When I'm sick or if my back acts up and I need stong muscle relaxers/pain meds I call in. I am not going to make a mistake because I can't think straight. I can't make simple decisions like chicken or beef bouillen if I'm feverish, what makes me think that I can make a life-or-death decision for a patient when I'm in that condition. Ditto for when I'm on the strong meds.

The policy at work is for the first 2 or 3 days you use PTO, then after that you can tap into your sick leave, unless you provide a Dr.'s note, then you can tap into sick leave for the 1st day. I don't really like the policy...but I've heard it worked wonders for sick leave abuse. The nurses I work with also say the nurse manager is pretty cool about letting "make the day up" elsewhere in the payperiod if possible instead of using any PTO, unless you're on restriction for sick leave abuse. I haven't had to call in at this job yet so I'm not sure how bad it is.

My last job, if you called in on a holiday or Friday thru Monday, or before/after a day off you were "warned". Then if you called in on a holiday or F-M, or before/after a day off in the next quarter you were written up...and so on. To "move back down the path" you had to go 3 months with NO call ins. It was really difficult to not have your call-in next to a day off, when we had split days off, i.e. on for 2 off 1 then on for 3 off 1. :uhoh3: :uhoh3:

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Specializes in LDRP.
I do not know of any company who has sick/personel days and Vacation days in the same sentence

We do. It's all PTO, and whether you choose to use it for sick time, vacation, or "we have low census can I go home?" it all comes from teh same bank. We also start with zilch and accrue it. If you've been there less than 5 years, you accrue something like 7.39 hours per pay period. (you get more if there over 5 years)

of course, short term disability is different

but our vacation/personal/sick time all comes from the same place

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