Has your supervisor ever told you to go to work when you were throwing up?

[Amethyst Veralyn]

I don't like to call in sick unless I can't avoid it. I try to

take use meds that supress my symptoms instead of calling in

sick. When you are throwing up or have diarrhea it is a threat to

co workers and patients. Why would a good supervisor tell you

to go to your shift anyway? I think this is dangerous.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

So you can only be sick 3 times in a 2 year period? that is crazy.

Originally Posted by sharrie: "Having said that call in 3 times in 2 years and you are given an informal chat, twice more after than formal interview, 2 more times final interview and then termination. Each stage is held on record for 2 years."

So you can only be sick 3 times in a 2 year period? that is crazy.

Yes, when I saw this, I also thought it was crazy! 3 times in 2 years?! If that was the policy at all the places I have worked, 90% of the staff would have been terminated!!

My husband works full-time as a RN, and he usually calls in sick 3 or 4 times a year. And he is always told on his yearly evaluation that he has a very low call-in rate, and that he is considered a very dependable and reliable employee. Apparently, others call-in much more than this. I only work part-time and I usually call in sick about 2 times a year.

Noooo, maybe I didn't explain it well enough.

3 times in 2 years you get an informal talk,

after that you have 2 more chances then you get a formal interview to discuss your sickness

after than you get another 2 chances then a 2nd formal interview

then another 2 chance before your termination interview

Is that a bit clearer.

[Asherah, BSN, RN]

3 times in 2 years you get an informal talk

No, you definitely gave a clear explanation, however I agree with the other posters who replied that the fact that you are given an "informal talk" for calling out three times in two years, that's nuts!

That allowance for illness is extremely low for an interval of two years and in my opinion there shouldn't be any repercussions until there is a proven pattern of excessive absenteeism and unreliability on the part of the individual. Heck, I'm not even an RN yet and I've been sick three times this year! (I suspect the bug that I've had has been transferred via my office setting too, spreads like wildfire.)

[ArwenEvenstar]

Noooo, maybe I didn't explain it well enough.

3 times in 2 years you get an informal talk,

after that you have 2 more chances then you get a formal interview to discuss your sickness

after than you get another 2 chances then a 2nd formal interview

then another 2 chance before your termination interview

Is that a bit clearer.

I did understand to begin with. Many people would end up being terminated if this policy was used at most of the places I have worked.

But I also just noticed that you are from the UK? Different country. Different situation. Can't compare apples to oranges. Don't know about the UK...

But I am familiar with Germany and a couple other European countries. It is unbelievable, for example, how much more vacation time Germans get compared to the USA! They seem to have a lower call-in-sick rate, which makes sense to me. When you have more paid time off, you are more likely to be healthy and not worn down from working so much.

[ShayRN]

We get people in a snow storm. If it's a crazy blizzard we would call people in before it happened. When I lived in Indiana, the police came and got me one time.

When I am staffing my concern is the residents, the people that don't come will be remembered when they need overtime. We are supposed to be a team. Shrug.

This past winter we had a huge snowstorm, it took me over an hour to get to work on main roads. (Normally 18 minutes from my door to work's door on back roads.) Once there myself, the other nurse on shift and the aide all sat together and talked. We were afraid to drive home that night, also had fears for night turn coming in, one lived over an hour away. So we spoke to our boss, called those nurses to tell them to stay home and we all worked doubles that night. Next day by the time we were on our way home the road crews had all the roads clear. Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do!

That said, no, I wouldn't put up with someone trying to make me come in sick. I have called off about 5 times in 10 years. What are they going to fire me for, excessive call offs? BTW, I recently (in May) called off an hour and a half before my shift. I was walking in the parking lot at my daughter's girlscout fund raiser and a dog came out of a car window and bit my arm. Not only did my co-workers not give me a hard time I had 3 phone calls that night making sure I was ok:redbeathe

[lpnstudentin2010, LPN]

I did understand to begin with. Many people would end up being terminated if this policy was used at most of the places I have worked.

But I also just noticed that you are from the UK? Different country. Different situation. Can't compare apples to oranges. Don't know about the UK...

But I am familiar with Germany and a couple other European countries. It is unbelievable, for example, how much more vacation time Germans get compared to the USA! They seem to have a lower call-in-sick rate, which makes sense to me. When you have more paid time off, you are more likely to be healthy and not worn down from working so much.

OK I just asked my mom who used to be a nurse in England. She said that for over there it is probably UNEXCUSED absences. it is a lot more common to get a docs note for absences then it is here in America.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

I did understand to begin with. Many people would end up being terminated if this policy was used at most of the places I have worked.

But I also just noticed that you are from the UK? Different country. Different situation. Can't compare apples to oranges. Don't know about the UK...

But I am familiar with Germany and a couple other European countries. It is unbelievable, for example, how much more vacation time Germans get compared to the USA! They seem to have a lower call-in-sick rate, which makes sense to me. When you have more paid time off, you are more likely to be healthy and not worn down from working so much.

It may well be because of our holiday time, we get 7 weeks off every year paid (that includes public holidays) so I guess we have less tolerance for sickness.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

OK I just asked my mom who used to be a nurse in England. She said that for over there it is probably UNEXCUSED absences. it is a lot more common to get a docs note for absences then it is here in America.

It includes both self certified and certified absence