Spin off: what is a reasonable sick call policy?

RN-APNstudent · Jun 9, 2015

At my job we get 7 points per rolling year. Call off is one point but if we are on for three days in a row and call in all three days it's still just that one point. Being late is half a point.

Libby1987 · Jun 9, 2015

At my job we get 7 points per rolling year. Call off is one point but if we are on for three days in a row and call in all three days it's still just that one point. Being late is half a point.

Do you think your position is reasonable or unreasonable?

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

I know when I'm too sick to come to work. I don't need anyone to set limits for me, and if limits have been set, I expect them to be ignored. So far, they have been.

If it gets to a point where my employer is suspicious of me lying about being ill or expects me to come to work ill, then it's time to move on.

RNKPCE · Jun 9, 2015

I'm always amazed at how they don't want us to come to work with xyz going on but then get on our backs if we call off too much.

In other job fields people can still work. After initially recovering from knee surgery my friend can work and elevate his knee at work but in nursing like other service profession you can't. If you have a lingering cough, which can linger a while, people who work in a cubicle with a dedicated phone and computer can go to work, we can't. Some people I know can work from home if not up to par.

I think they need to have policies but need to look at employees overall pattern over the course of their employment. If I were a manager I wouldn't want to terminate a stellar employee if one year out of 15 they went over the absences. It costs a lot more to onboard a person to fill that position than to give that person the benefit of the doubt.

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · Jun 9, 2015

Find out what their "send you home if you are sick" policy is.

My facility will ding you if you call in, but doesn't ding you if you go in and they send you home. So yes, I have went into work with 103 fever, looked hot, felt hot, made sure I announced it only for them to send me home.

michigansapphire · Jun 9, 2015

What gets me is ... Employer gives me 80 hours of sick time per year (equivalent of almost seven 12-hour shifts) but if I call out sick more than once in a year it's noted on my annual review????