Sick Of Co-workers Calling In ALL the Time

Nurses Relations

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GRRRR....I am sick of my co-workers calling in sick all the time. It would be different if it wasn't the SAME ones that call in month after month. When they are "out sick", I am picking up their slack and it is so frustrating! Yes, I agree that everyone gets sick from time to time and needs a sick day, but when it becomes a PATTERN I start to lose trust in them. I like my co-workers, but it makes it hard to smile at a few of them when they come back from ANOTHER "sick day" knowing the day before I was busting my butt picking up there slack. It makes me want to call in just because I am literally SICK of them calling in SICK. Sorry I sound so angry....thanks for letting me vent.

In my previous place of employment, I was a big team player. Called in sick maybe three times in six years. I went to work when sick, because I didn't want to let my partners down. Then I was unexpectedly injured and went on workers comp; didn't use any sick leave at all. When I was retired, I lost 700 hours of unused sick time - wasn't compensated at all for it. Made me feel kind of stupid, like I should have at least taken sick days when I was sick!

Now I am of the strong belief that it is an earned benefit, and if I am not 100%, then it is ok to take a sick day.

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In my previous place of employment, I was a big team player. Called in sick maybe three times in six years. I went to work when sick, because I didn't want to let my partners down. Then I was unexpectedly injured and went on workers comp; didn't use any sick leave at all. When I was retired, I lost 700 hours of unused sick time - wasn't compensated at all for it. Made me feel kind of stupid, like I should have at least taken sick days when I was sick!

Now I am of the strong belief that it is an earned benefit, and if I am not 100%, then it is ok to take a sick day.

I agree with you. Now I think about whether I should stay home if I am sick or not. I am less inclined to drag myself in. And when I am out sick or out for any other reason, I don't get paid. So I really think about whether or not I should stay home.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

If a person reads these posts it becomes clear that this is another way in which nurses have been taken advantage by their employers. The lack of regard and respect results in nurses feeling angry with their peers for "calling in sick" when they should be angry with their employers for not planning for those days.

As a manager of a very busy PICU I did the math...how many FTEs of vacation, sick, and maternity time did I anticipate within my department? That was what I planned for in maintaining contingent or per diem staff. If unplanned absences could not be covered by the float pool we called a contingent, if they could not cover it, we called a part timer who might want an extra shift, then we asked for OT, if no volunteers I worked it. It was that simple. People who abused their sick time were reprimanded in a specific and time sensitive fashion. Patterns of call ins were addressed matter of factly.

As was eloquently stated before...staffing shortages because a nurse has called off is a management issue and problem period. It does not matter why the nurse called off, at all. The fact that someone has been granted this time by their employer to use at their discretion when they feel that they should not come to work is reason enough. The fact that our peers work their butts off when we are sick should make us furious with our employers, not our coworkers, especially considering the number of nurses out there looking for work.

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As was eloquently stated before...staffing shortages because a nurse has called off is a management issue and problem period. It does not matter why the nurse called off, at all. The fact that someone has been granted this time by their employer to use at their discretion when they feel that they should not come to work is reason enough. The fact that our peers work their butts off when we are sick should make us furious with our employers, not our coworkers, especially considering the number of nurses out there looking for work.

thank you for putting the issue into proper perspective. sometimes we're so quick to blame each other, when, as you stated, it's a management issue!! But, too often, management sits back and does nothing and we just take it.

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

This can be a really volatile issue.

We have some people who always seem to call in before or after weekends and there is clear pattern to their sick leave. We all know who they are. This needs to be deal with.

But then you get some nurses who will come in clearly unwell and it's like they think they deserve an award or something because they make a huge issue over the fact that they still came into work sick. I don't want to work with a sick person , I'd much prefer someone to keep their germs to themselves especially considering my sister has cancer and is immune compromised. I think they need to be sent home and reprimanded.

When I'm sick I don't feel guilty calling in because I always get a doctors certificate and the hospital can call in agency staff. If they don't and people are working short, well they can blame management not me...

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Specializes in pulm/cardiology pcu, surgical onc.
At least you get a coffee mug! I've not called off or punched in late in 13 years! I'm tired of coworkers calling off 5 days for a sick dog, 5 days for a father-in-law passing away, 3 days for their teenage daughter's BF's surgery, etc. I think I might me sick for the first time on Friday.............

I took a weeks paid bereavement leave for my MIL's passing, which I don't find unusual as is our policy here. I know there are some things that may sound ludacris to some (and myself as well) but some co workers think it may be the end of their world. I worked one night when a newbie called in while she was driving to work, why you ask? She got stung by a bee, and no she wasn't allergic. For pete's sake suck it up and get in to work. What makes it easy for us is we don't even talk to anyone when we call in, just leave our info on staffing's voicemail and it's up to them to pull nurses out of their butts.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

At my old job, with no PTO, call-ins tended to coincide with sporting events. When the World Cup, World Series (especially when the Red Sox were playing) and Super Bowl (especially when the Patriots were playing) came around, we worked short. I hated it.

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Specializes in ER.

I work the ED and when the Super Bowl is on the ED is dead. Huge surge after the final score, but generally the real emergencies have already come in during the lull.

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I only call in when I am sicker than a dog and I did so twice in one week in November which is totally not like me. I thought I was getting better, went to work, made it through the shift but barely. In the morning, the day shift charge nurse looks at me and says "buddy you don't look so hot"...no I didn't, I was running a fever. Yeah there are people who call in all the time. I try not to be judgemental about it because I don't know what goes on in their life.

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Specializes in L&D, PP, Nursery.
I took a weeks paid bereavement leave for my MIL's passing, which I don't find unusual as is our policy here. I know there are some things that may sound ludacris to some (and myself as well) but some co workers think it may be the end of their world. I worked one night when a newbie called in while she was driving to work, why you ask? She got stung by a bee, and no she wasn't allergic. For pete's sake suck it up and get in to work. What makes it easy for us is we don't even talk to anyone when we call in, just leave our info on staffing's voicemail and it's up to them to pull nurses out of their butts.

Actually, I made an error in my posting. It was the grandfather-in-law. There were no bereavement days allowed for this and it was a local funeral viewing. My point is that yes, while it is a management issue also, some people call off frequently for every little thing and the unit becomes very short-staffed. You can look at the schedule and know who the potential call-offs are. I haven't gone to work sick and risked making my co-workers or patients ill. I've been fortunate enough to not have to take bereavement time either. But, I've not just taken off because I didn't feel like going to work. I know what it's like to work short-staffed and just prefer not to do that to my co-workers.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/Flight.

Some of my co-workers call in very frequently, we're talking about once per pay period. It makes you wonder how they can get away with it. Especially when we've had an incredibly busy shift, then 12 hours later someone calls in sick....and it happens to the same person everytime we're busy. They looked fine when they left the hospital.

I know some people are legitimately sick, and QaQueen seemed to have gotten offended at the original poster (even though nothing was personally directed at her). But those of us who are left to "pick up the slack" will often bet (no money exchanges hands so no one should get offended...we'll bet a diet coke or something and rarely do we ever pay up anyway)...but we'll bet on whether or not someone will call in the next shift. and I'm here to tell ya if my odds could stay this good I'd move to Vegas and live like a King.

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When I was at my first job as a CNA, there was a woman who called off Friday PM shift religiously. The employees openly talked about her behavior. I told my co-workers that it made no sense to me, since management allowed her to do this, that they bothered to schedule her for that shift. Every Friday PM shift, the person was gone if her name was on the schedule, and the other CNAs had more work to do (which wasn't always done, but that is another thread). It was also a topic of discussion that the extra work was not being picked up. How much effort would it have taken to schedule someone who would show up for work and maybe do some work while there?

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