What is your opinion on "calling in sick" when not really sick?

[Convoy2022_TrumpSupporter]

I have pretty good attendance at work which I am glad.  I don't call in unless its an emergency.

I have noticed staff call in sick due to personal reasons, or say they shovelled the snow and now their back hurts. They call in sick from work, and then we work short if there are no replacements.

Thing is some staff say they just don't feel like coming to work, but they don't feel bad. Some say they are stressed which I understand, family complaints, managers on your tail etc... sometimes you are not sick and just need a day of healing mentally. Some staff do get burnt out. Some staff lets say had an argument one day and did not get over it so they need one day (sick) to recover but not actually sick.

But, do you feel bad if they work short? Myself in my experience when nurses book off and I am alone on the floor, I am fine you are not hurting me, you are hurting the Residents. Even when PSW's book off as well.

Have you ever called in when not really sick? I notice that its a habit for some staff.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

My opinion on this is evolving. I never call out, basically unless I am dying. So when somebody says “I woke up feeling a little tired and unwell so I called out,” my knee-jerk reaction is to disapprove. 
 

That being said, I am coming around to see both sides. The hospital/clinic certainly doesn’t show a lot of loyalty to us. Most workplaces basically treat employees as expendable, cheap, and replaceable. Therefore, if I consistently go “above and beyond,” am I really just being a chump?  My clinic will probably (not even definitely) meet its minimum contractual obligations to me; it is most certainly not going to go beyond what is legally required. So, really, why should I?  

Like I said, I never call out, because that is my personality. But I’ve stopped disapproving of coworkers who take full advantage of their sick leave and personal time. They’re looking out for themselves in a system that definitely doesn’t look out for them. 

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 1/28/2021 at 10:53 AM, ThePrincessBride said:

And this is what is wrong with America.

Mental health is just as important as physical health, but here in 'Murica, mental health is not taken seriously and the care for psychiatric illness and disorders is lacking. Hence school shootings, high suicidal rates and declining life expectancy.

Before we take care of others, we must take care of ourselves. If I am feeling too stressed, I can't focus and give my patients the care they deserve. If I am mentally and emotionally exhausted, I don't have the energy to be a safe and productive nurse. 

Call-offs aren't just for N/V/D or physical ailments, it is there for when we feel unwell. 

I use to think it is a source of pride to not calling off...ever. But this pandemic has really emphasized just how little our employers value us as human beings. Screw that.

Yes!  We do have to put our own oxygen on first.  

Where the devil did all of this guilt come from anyway?  Royals don't mind being bloodsucking leeches of the taxpaying citizenry whom they gladly bleed dry to support their castles and their lavish lifestyle.  Why can't a taxpaying citizen put his or her own wellbeing first once in a while?  

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

23 hours ago, caliotter3 said:

I take a good hard look at the present state of my health and can only wonder how much of the devastation can be attributed to my workaholic ways of the past.  I can't think of one thank you along the way, much less any kind of satisfied feeling in looking back at my work attendance record.  Maybe if I had paid attention to mental and physical health days back then, I wouldn't be suffering so much today.  Just a thought.

I so appreciate this post caliotter3! I wonder whether my priorities have sometimes been misplaced and whether I will regret some of my work life habits later on. My work wife and myself are known in our unit for working long stretches and covering 50-60 hours a week. When my kids were younger I had no choice but to miss out on certain things, in the past couple years I've chosen to work extra for a number of reasons and I've discounted that they might need me, or want me around, since they're all teenagers now and pretty self sufficient.  But I recently decided to cut back and be home more, even if I'm just sitting on the couch and we talk for a few minutes, I don't want to miss out on quality time with them while they're still around. And it does get physically and mentally exhausting sometimes. 

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

25 minutes ago, Kooky Korky said:

Having only 2 instances of needing time off in 22 years is remarkable.  It means you are mentally strong, emotionally strong, and very fortunate to not have had, apparently, any troubles involving kids needing you at home or in their hospital room, no babysitter no-shows, no furnace going out in January in Minnesota and you had to wait home to let the furnace repair guy in, no drunk driver plowing into your loved one and you are in the ER with him - thankful he is still breathing.  Your family deaths must be either very few or they happen during your vacations or on your days off.  Except that 1

I am fortunate in many respects, I also had the ability to set up some circumstances in my life to cover things. We chose to make financial sacrifices when our kids were young and be a one income family, my income. My husband was home with our kids for 11 years, so no, I had no reason to call out. I also had a relatively flexible job and all kid related appointments were scheduled when I was at home. My kids obliged by only breaking bones after hours, and I'm fortunate no one was hospitalized. 

The things that you point out are clearly emergencies and should those have happened to me, yes, I would have had to call out. I'm sorry if it was you who had a loved one hit by a drunk driver. My family death with the hit and run killing of my sister, devastating to all of us, and obviously a priority over work. 

[Bluefamily, MSN]

Hmmm... Calling in sick when you're not really sick.....I'll admit I was perfectly healthy and had just worked the night before.  But I called in sick with no qualms about it the very next morning when I came home to find my husband dead at home from a cracked skull after he hit the bathroom sink in a fall.... ..I guess I allowed my personal problems to affect others when I did that.  

So yes, I have called in sick when I wasn't sick and I allowed my personal problems to affect my work attendance. And.....???? Feel guilty? nope. That is what PTO and bereavement days are for.

[CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN]

1 hour ago, Bluefamily said:

  But I called in sick with no qualms about it the very next morning when I came home to find my husband dead at home from a cracked skull after he hit the bathroom sink in a fall.... 

 

I am so very sorry this happened to you. That is truly a nightmare and hard to even think about.

(And obviously that is not the situation  the OP was thinking of when talking about people who are skipping work!)

 

[HarleyvQuinn, MSN, RN, NP]

22 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Yes, there are people who use sick time for reasons that are not obvious to others and may be incorrectly perceived as using it inappropriately. There are also people who blatantly misuse it. The title of the post is asking for opinions about calling in sick when not really sick (or by extension, caring for someone else who is sick).

If I have to take an unreasonable assignment, cancel plans, or end up making a fatigue-induced error because of being mandated thanks to someone treating sick time like casual vacation, it sure as heck is my business. And yes, management should be dealing with it.

Both concepts can be valid without canceling each other out.

 My entire point is you cannot know whether your coworker is or is not "really sick," can you? (Unless they're special enough to be posting proof on social media/bragging about it.) You can only know the reasons behind why you, yourself, are calling in. This is why I don't judge others. The only person I can know who is "blatantly abusing" sick time is myself. Since I don't choose to operate in this manner, I don't assume the worst of others, either. It doesn't mean I haven't been accused of it, of course. I have been accused of "abusing the system" when what I actually have is a chronic disability. One that came from refusing to take the time to take a knee and get the care I needed (meaning time off) earlier in my life. Choices such as continuing to work while injured and going in to work to cover my friend, comrade in arms, and coworker's shift when notified that she was missing and her apartment found burned. She was dead. 

 This is why I operate the way I do. I know what it feels like to already be struggling with pain, guilt, and trying to keep pushing through it for everyone around you while those people accuse you of just making their lives harder. Meanwhile, as I've said, you see management continue with skeleton staffing, getting off on time without a  shred of guilt, and pitting staff against each other. I refuse to play into this and treat someone whose circumstances I don't know as an inconvenience in my life, as less than the imperfect human beings we all are. I can only control my own choices, so I focus there. That's my opinion. ?‍♀️

[AutumnDraidean]

I’m going to frame this in the context that I’ve always lived in small communities. When I was in college I worked for a grocery store so not high stakes, someone called in on a Friday night in order to go to the demolition derby at the county fair. And the boss went too, and fired this person on the spot, with a few choice words at that. Ever after, sick or just needing a day, if I’ve called in sick you will NOT see me in public outside the doctor, pharmacy or perhaps the grocery store. I don’t even know who lost their job, but the story stuck with me! 
 

I’ve called in as a result of childcare fails, failure to sleep prior to night shift and sick children issues, my employer wasn’t sympathetic to any of these so I’ve generally had to say I’m the sick one. It never failed, the following week or maybe two weeks later I would be struck down with whatever I claimed before.  It made me very very careful. 
 

Don’t get me wrong, when I’ve had childcare fails it led me to switch daycare families! The sitter in question nailed me three times, once my weekend sitter bailed me out, once my mother-in-law bailed me out so only once did I have to call in. And when your three year old comes to you at 1258 and barfs on your shoes, you call in for evenings even before you clean up the barf! 
 

We all need mental health days. But people who abuse it make it hard for everyone. I don’t feel guilty calling in. But I am very mindful about it. 

[SilverBells, BSN]

I highly dislike it when floor nurses call in sick because it means I may be pulled to the floor...and hence, have less time to write SBARs and complete assessments.  It may also mean someone else may complete an admission because I'll be too busy doing other things...??

On a serious note, I'm not a huge fan of call-ins, regardless of the reason.  With that said, I know that life happens and sometimes you need a day off, whether it be from the stomach bug, an accident, or the need for a mental break.  I've called in on days that I probably could have still worked, so understand that others may need to do the same.  

The other day, my colleague/co-manager decided to unexpectedly take a personal day, stating it was related to stress.  I wasn't overly thrilled, but I understood.  Our facility is bonkers right now, so I can relate to the need for a mental health day/mental break.  

It's when people consistently call in multiple times a week or every other week that it starts to get old.  I get that there may be more serious things going on in these individuals' lives, but it's hard to believe that 5+ people are all experiencing extensive reasons to constantly be out of work.  If they really dislike the job so much that they need to call out frequently, maybe it's time to look for a position where coworkers aren't as dependent for them to show up.  

[BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN]

I call in sick when my child is sick (I'm not) and it's my turn to sit with her.

I do not feel guilty at all, you see, they constantly float from out team and make us short anyways, so there.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

24 minutes ago, RN-to- BSN said:

I call in sick when my child is sick (I'm not) and it's my turn to sit with her.

I do not feel guilty at all, you see, they constantly float from out team and make us short anyways, so there.

It's very frustrating when a unit with good attendance gets punished by being designated as the staffing pool for other units.

On a slightly different note, I once had a nurse manager who would call the staffing office in the morning and offer to float people if the staffing was the least bit above ratio. She'd actually take a partial assignment if that would allow her to float someone for a full shift.

One wonders if they were getting bonuses for things like that...

[Davey Do]

36 minutes ago, RN-to- BSN said:

I call in sick when my child is sick (I'm not) and it's my turn to sit with her.

I do not feel guilty at all, you see, they constantly float from out team and make us short anyways, so there.