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Call in Sick Excuses Policy Guide – Email and Test Message Sample

This is a Guide to Calling in Sick from home. Are you scared to call in sick to prevent your boss from firing you? Here are basic things you should know about when and how to call in sick to work. But first, what is the calling in sick policy? Do you know them? Scroll down to discover more.

Calling in sick can be a reason or cause of anxiety for workers who wonder when to call, what to say and how to say it. There may be questions to ascertain if they are truly sick enough to take the day off or worry it will reflect poorly on them to miss work.

“Firstly, there is the worry of how much work they are going to miss,” says Christy Pruitt-Haynes. She’s the head of performance practice for Neuro-Leadership Institute, a human resources consulting firm. “Secondly, there’s a bit of the unknown and uncertainty as to how your manager or supervisor is going to respond.”

Best Ways to Call in Sick to Work Professionally

The COVID-19 pandemic and remote work has made calling in sick even more easy. In 2021, a tele-health solutions provider MDLIVE found that a 49%  of U.S. put under survey reported feeling more stressed or anxious about taking a sick day in the past year than they had in previous times. This portion was even higher among remote workers, where 51% of which reported this increased anxiety around sick days.

Furthermore, if the thought of taking the day off has you feeling stressed, keep reading to learn how to call in sick to work and what to say when calling in sick. This guide will cover:

  1. What to say when calling in sick.
  2. What are good excuses for missing work?
  3. Can I call in sick if I’m a remote worker?
  4. How should you call in sick? Can you text in sick?
  5. What your boss is allowed to ask.
  6. Can you get fired for calling in sick?
  7. Can your boss force you to go home if you’re sick?

What to Say When Calling in Sick

Calling in sick does not need to be a stressing thing. Some workers may be decide to dance around the issue by saying they will try to make it in later if they feel better, knowing the chances of that are quite minimal. It’s way better and safer to simply say you won’t be in and leave it at that.

In other words, explain why you will not be at work, but you necessarily do not have to share any uncomfortable details of your illness. Providing lengthy explanations as to why you cannot come to work also might give the impression you may exaggerating or even lying.

However, do not leave your employer in the dark. As a matter of fact, if you know how long you’re going to be away from work, let them know.

What Are Good Excuses for Missing Work?

Call in sick excuses: Many people look online for how to fake call in sick during COVID19. Because they are cautious of their health but don’t also want to loose their job. Regardless, check if your company has a sick policy prior to falling ill. However, in absence of that, a good and safer idea is to stay home if you think or know your illness is contagious, says Amanda Augustine, a career expert.

“No employer would want to you spread your germs,” she says. Vomiting and sneezing is another clear sign that it is time to stay at home. This is one exceptional reasons to call in sick for 2 days or more.

With COVID-19 still ravaging, employees may have to stay at home for much less. A cough or scratchy throat could lead people to call in sick, and employers may encourage workers to exercise an abundance of caution and stay home in these instances.

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However, faking an illness just to stay home or avoid work is not in your best interest. This is because, taking unnecessary days off work could exhaust your employer’s goodwill and put your job at risk.

In any case, if you do call in sick, ensure you stay off social media and compromising places. This is because, telling your employer that you are not feel well and then posting photos from the beach or lounge could be considered grounds for termination in some workplaces.

Different strokes for different folks. The rules may differ, when it comes to caring for sick family members or children who are on remote learning. Ensure to check in with your human resources office or employee handbook to see if your company has a formal policy on calling in sick.

Can You Call in Sick if You’re a Remote Worker?

For people who work remotely, the decision to call in sick may not be as clear as those who do not. This is so because some people have the capability and tendency to be sick and still work from home, but that actually can extend the illness.

While some people may be faking an illness just to work from home. That is to say, just because you can work remotely does not mean you should reject the use of your sick days when you truly need them. “If you’re sick, you’re sick.”

It even makes sense to skip work if you think you will be less productive. There is little benefit for you or your boss if you unable to concentrate or get work done especially with deadlines. You can see Why Data Analytics Skills is In-Demand: It contains Salary Quotes to employees.

How Should You Call in Sick? Can You Text in Sick?

How to call in sick email or SMS message: While calling in sick is preferable, sending a text message or an email to that effect is perfectly acceptable in many work environments or organisations.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the best mode of communication for delivering such a message, your relationship with your boss or employer comes to play,” Augustine says. If you normally text with your employer, texting in sick can be acceptable. However, if communication is done via the phone regularly, sending a text message is not appropriate. Also, asking someone else in the office to pass your message across typically is seen to be inappropriate.

It does not really matter how you inform your employer, just make sure you are providing as much notice as possible and on time. If you don’t contact your employer until after you were to be at work, some companies and organisations might record that as a “no call, no show,” which will negatively affect your work record. Calling in as soon as possible and following up with an email to create a paper trail of your communication is quite mandatory and necessary.

What Your Boss Is Allowed to Ask

The natural reaction of any employer is to ask what is wrong, but you are under no obligation to provide any uncomfortable details of your illness. Similarly, some employers ask partly out of genuine concerns for your well-being and partly to check how long they will need to cover your shifts and the workload. To address this concern, let your employer know when you expect to return, if possible.

Some organizations do have the option of asking for a doctor’s note as the case may be. For instance, some businesses do use a three-day rule and request verification from a doctor after a three day absence from work.

If need be  to take an extended medical leave, you will need to fill out all the  paperwork to qualify for the job protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act, more commonly known as FMLA. However, even in these situations as this, medical information should be kept confidential by your company’s human resources department and does not need to be disclosed to a supervisor or co-workers, because it can be seen as invasion of privacy.

Can You Get Fired for Calling in Sick?

Furthermore, depending on the laws of a given state, workers who belong to unions may have some extra protections.

“If you’re working in a state with at-will employees, they can fire you for anything that is not legal,” Augustine says. This means that unless you qualify for legal protections under FMLA or the Americans with Disabilities Act, there is nothing stopping an employer from firing you for calling in sick.

Employers find it difficult to fire a dedicated good worker who calls in sick occasionally, but if they feel you are faking an illness, they may not be so kind and understanding. “I definitely would not make calling in sick a habit” Whitmore says.

Can Your Boss Force You to Go Home if You’re Sick?

The answer is a loud YES!!! If your boss thinks you are ill or uncomfortable at work, he or she can send you home. In this case, it may have been better off calling in sick than forcing yourself to come to work. The COVID-19 pandemic has made employers more understanding of workers calling in sick, and employees are more aware of the need to stay at home when they are not feel well. If you need to call in sick, don’t be scared to do so. Just be mindful of giving your boss as much notice as possible and follow any company policies regarding documentation and get well soon. These are the tips on How To Call In Sick To Work (Text, Scripts, And What To Say). In case you miss work, see How to Reply to Query. Lastly, Stay safe out there.