I wasn't sure if I should post this in "Off topic" or "Advice" Does anyone else hate calling in sick to work? My first ever job (I worked there for 10 years) the two managers were absolutely vile about anyone that called in sick. They'd try to force people to come in, they'd slate you to other people and they would make you call mid afternoon to say if you'd be back the following day. I no longer work there but feel like this has had an impact on me. I always feel like my managers won't believe me, that they'll think I'm faking it etc. I'm currently off sick but instead of resting I'm worrying about what they're thinking. I very rarely call in sick, often going in when I probably should have called in sick.
Just wondering if anyone else ever feels this way? Any tips for changing my mindset? They've never said anything to me to make me think they don't believe me but I just keep thinking that I don't know what they're saying in their office.
I used to hate making that phone call, especially if it was a genuine reason. At my last job they knew I suffer with migraines, so actually were understanding about my reasons for calling in sick, plus I never got paid if I didn’t work, so it was always genuine.
But, from experience, if you’re calling because you fancy a few days off, just make the call a quick one. When you start rambling and listing all of your ailments, that’s when most people would smell a rat.
For a bad cold, I would shove a bit of pepper up my nose before making the call, so that I would sound as though I had been sneezing and if I sneezed during the call, even better!
One time, I was so desperate for some time off work, I ate some laxative chocolate and well, I will let your imagination take over from there.
They sent me home from London in a taxi. It was bliss.
I fractured my wrist on my way to work once (slipped on ice walking to the bus stop) and I knew I’d have to have it x-rayed. I rang my manager once I knew she’d be in the office, explained by saying I may not make it in today (I worked for the NHS in admin) and she was like ‘well can you update me afterwards?’ so of course I said yes. Anyway, I go to A&E and I’m waiting for my x-Ray and my manager turns up looking for me!!! Really couldn’t believe it. The lack of trust was astounding.
You can’t do a lot with a broken wrist.
I broke mine 18 months ago, so know how inconvenient it is.
I got signed off work after I had a mental breakdown. I was asked by my employers to go to the doctors to get signed off as I was coming to work an absolute mess every day due to depression and anxiety. I was on a monthly sick note from the doctors which I posted in to HR. I was extremely unwell and checked in with my manager sporadically when she would just say she was thinking of me and said to just ask if I needed anything. A few months into my sick leave I got a new manager, I was gutted. This new manager rang me every Monday to “check in”. She would ring every week and ask if my depression had gone and if I had stopped being anxious. I bit my tongue and would just say no and wait for her to end the call. Some weeks I wouldn’t answer my phone as clearly stated in my sick note I was off work ill. She text me saying if I didn’t answer every week she would discipline me. I tried to return to work as she was pressuring me to and threatening to have me sacked. I was there a couple of weeks and had had to leave or not made it in as I was still very unwell. She pulled me into a glass see through office that the whole floor could see into. Shouting at me it wasn’t acceptable and I should be better by now. I got signed off straight away again that day. I ended up getting paid out of my job by the company. Another time that manager also said Glandular Fever wasn’t real so shouldn’t be off work. I was just unhealthy and should drink more water. She once left her computer unlocked with an email open (I sat next to her) The email was all just her slagging me off, about all sorts. Not just being ill. I’ve never worked since. The anxiety of having to deal with managers makes me feel sick.
These Managers are the worst kind and Britain is full of them. They’re usually stuck so far up their own arse, whilst brown-nosing someone else’s.
I wish we could ship them all off to a remote island somewhere and let their inflated egos take over. They are the pits.