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If you’ve read Six Things to Know About Calling Out of Work, then you know that calling out too often or the wrong way can cause you harm on the job.
Now that we’ve looked at how not to do it, let’s look at the best practices for calling out sick.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, it’s not a good idea to call out sick if you’re not sick. You can do that maybe once, but no more.
Again, not to repeat myself, but you need to keep call-outs due to emergencies to a real minimum.
Assuming you are actually sick or that you have a true emergency, here is my best advice for calling out:
If there is a specific written policy about calling out, then follow it.
Even if you think there is a better way to do it (and there well may be), no one can ever fault you for following the written policy.
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If there is no specific policy or guideline:
Call rather than text or email. Call your boss directly unless you’ve been told otherwise. If you get voicemail, leave a message similar to:
“I’m sorry that I need to stay home today. I’m under the weather and not sure if I’m contagious. The only thing that really needs to be taken care of today is [be brief but specific]. I will make every effort to be in tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to call me back if you need to. I’ll also try to contact someone at the office.”
Then do call the receptionist or whoever is appropriate in your workplace. Be sure to allow for a call-back. That way you can stay home and rest while still being available for a quick question if needed.
This is completely different from saying something like, “I’m calling to inform you that I won’t be in today” and then not answering your phone when your boss calls you back.
I’ve gotten this message and it is not a message from someone who has much integrity at work (for more on that, read Maintaining Integrity in the Workplace).
First of all, yes, you need to give a reason. It’s not like using a vacation or personal day that you plan ahead of time – no reason needed or expected. But, even though you are legitimately sick, you are disrupting the workplace with your absence and you need to explain why. You don’t need to go into detail (really, I’ve had people go into detail – just don’t), but you have to at least explain that you’re sick or whatever the case.
The same with a true emergency. You don’t have to give details, but you do have to say something like, “I’m sorry that I can’t come in today. I’m dealing with something that I really do need to take care of immediately.”
If you’re an employee with integrity, your boss will wish you well and probably ask if you need anything.
For the timing on calling out, again, if there is a specific policy, follow it.
If you are an essential worker, then your shift will need to be covered if you call out. If your employer’s policy asks you to call out four hours before your shift, it is to give time to find coverage.
So, if your shift starts at 7:00 a.m., even if you call at 3:00 a.m., it is still going to be hard to fill your shift.
If you know the evening before that you’re really sick, then give a heads up when you know. That way, your employer will be able to make some calls while people are still awake and may be more likely to answer their phones.
I have had employees call at 7:00 p.m. saying they didn’t feel well, were going to see how they felt in the morning, but wanted to at least give me a heads up. I was then able to find stand-by staff who would be willing to come in the next morning in case they were needed. I really appreciated that. Your employer will too.
A word about the Emergency Room
To read about inappropriate usage of the ER and how it affects you at work, read How to Maintain Credibility at Work
If you or a family member really needs the Emergency Room, then of course that’s what you should do, before anything else. What you don’t want to do is completely forget that you were expected at work.
I’ve been in the Emergency Room for myself and for my son, more than once, as have many (and maybe most) people. You can still make a phone call.
During one such visit my teenage son, who had fallen and had what could have been a significant head injury, wanted me to sign him out AMA so he could go to work.
That was obviously not happening, but I did call his boss for him. He felt better, she knew what was going on, he got the treatment he needed (fortunately he was fine) and she was able to run her business without wondering why her employee wasn’t there.
On the flip side, I have had staff members not show up for several days, with no response to emails, texts or phone calls, and then resurface saying they had been in the hospital. Unless you’re in a soap opera plot with long-term amnesia, that is not credible. In two of these cases I had already terminated the person for job abandonment (usually defined as not showing up or calling for three consecutive shifts).
If you keep callouts to a minimum, and only when really necessary, and call out appropriately, you will be a hero at your job!
