How to Call in Sick with Excuses on Phone, Email or Text Message

This is a guide to calling in sick from home, with possible reasons for being absent from work for at least 2 or more days. 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 due to burnout. But first, what is the calling in sick policy? Do you know them? Scroll down to discover more.

Calling in sick excuses can be numerous for an employee. This can cause anxiety of how to call in sick, when to call via phone, text message or email, as well as what to say and how to say it. There may be questions for employers to ascertain if you (employee) are truly sick enough to take the day off. You may even worry if your absence from work will reflect negatively on your file.

“First of all, there is the worry of how much you are going to miss if you are absent from work,” 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. Last year, 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:

What to say when calling in sick.
What are good excuses for missing work?
Can I call in sick if I’m a remote worker?
How should you call in sick? Can you text in sick?
What your boss is allowed to ask.
Can you get fired for calling in sick?
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.

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 I Call in Sick? Phone call, Text or Email?

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 is Your Boss Allowed to Ask You

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).

How Many Sick Days Can an Employee Take?

In the United Kingdom for example, am employee may be eligible to have Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in certain scenarios. To confirm this, simply check your employment letter/contract. There, you will discover whether you qualify for any contractual sick payment benefits.

Generally, you can give a good reason for your absence from work for the first few days (up to 7 days). However, you will have to provide a doctor’s report (GP fit note) if you are unwell. The dates of the report includes non-working days like weekends and public holidays if you were absent for more than seven days.

While in the US, only about 68% of civilian workers are eligible to some form of paid-sick leave.

According to the US law, the average permission is 8 days maximum per year. Anyways, some HR & employers do not specify a maximum number of days in the employment letter. Therefore, you should check your employment contract to learn more about your eligibility to sick leave payment.

Sometimes, the management of your organisations may allow you to carry forward any unused sick leave into the next leave year. Note that this does not apply to all companies.

Employee Work Policy

For avoidance of doubt, it is recommended that you consult the employee handbook. Carefully browse through the employee absence policy or ask your boss directly during your employment. Trust me, this will definitely make sure you are familiar with the methods of when you need to take time off work.

Responsibilities in workplace differs. Therefore, depending on your job role, industry of professionalism and personal situation, you may be able to work from home. You can even take vacation trips instead of attending your usual place of work.

On the other side, this might even be a good option if you are recovering from a contagious illness. It is especially nice if you are avoiding to pass on any communicable disease or flu. If you need to be at home to take care of sick family members or relatives, this can also be an option.

However, you should not feel obliged to work from home if you are not feeling well enough to do so.

Will an Employee Be Paid for Sick Leave?

Payment for sick leave depends on your location as well as contract of employment. Some countries has laws to encourages payment while others don’t.

For example, in European countries like the UK, you are entitled to £99.35 per week SSP if you are unable to attend work due to serious sickness. Your employer makes this payment for a maximum of 28 weeks.

To be eligible:

You must have employee status not contract staff
You must have already completed some work for your employer
Your average earnings must be a minimum of £123 per week
You must have been unwell for at least four consecutive days (including non-working days like weekends and public holidays). The only exception to this rule is if you have tested positive for coronavirus, when you will be eligible for SSP from your first day of sickness absence.

Furthermore, an employee may also be eligible for company, contractual or occupational sick pay. Note that entitlement varies between employers.

Company Pay Schemes

Big companies has payment schemes. Now, if your employer offers a company sick pay scheme and you fall under its terms, you will be paid for time off sick in accordance with this. If not, your employer is to pay SSP if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Normally, company sick pay schemes offer an enhanced level of sick pay when compared to Statutory Sick Pay. In any case, employers can offer different sick pay scheme that suits them, as far as it is not lower than the legally approved minimum.

Legally, the details of any company sick pay package you are eligible to have must be in writing. Make sure you receive it during the first two months of your employment in your workplace.

On the contrary, if a company sick pay scheme is not approved, it has to be set out in writing within your written contract. Check your employment particulars now so that you are not left in the dark.

Company Sick Pay Minimum Period

In most cases, employees will be eligible for company sick payment after a specific minimum period. This can be from an induction or probationary of several months. A lot employers in different locations offer an initial period of full sick pay. This sometimes followed by a further period during which you will receive only half pay.

Federal Laws for Time of Sick

The US for example does not have a federal law requiring paid sick leave. However, about 16 US states have laws in place to mandate paid sick leave. These sates also includes Arizona, California, Connecticut, Michigan, New York, Washington together with Vermont.

Additionally, about 23 cities and 2 counties also have the same laws, with others expected to join in the near future. These laws allow an employee to be paid when taking time off to look after sick family members. In some states, this laws extends to caring for a close friend or family member.

Every state’s sick pay provision is different, so it is important to check the terms and conditions of employment outlined in your contract or company handbook.

State Laws for Sick Leave

Some state laws provide time off for people affected by domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. This is sometimes referred to as ‘safe time’ or ‘safe leave’, which allows an employee time off to attend court, move home, attend counseling or receive other support.

Some employers work out an employee’s entitlement to paid sick leave according to the number of hours that they work each week. In other cases, they will withdraw the funds from a ‘bank’ of sickness pay that is front-loaded at the beginning of each financial year.

If you work for a company that does not provide entitlement to paid sick leave, you will be expected to take unpaid leave for serious illnesses under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Step by Step Guide for Calling in Sick

Step 1. Let Your Boss Know as Soon as Possible
Step 2. Keep It Brief
Step 3. Be Helpful
Step 4. Make Sure the Right People Know
Step 5. Be Sensible About Social Media
Step 6. Follow Up

In case you miss work, see How to Reply to Query. Lastly, Stay safe out there and check out these similar posts below.

- Advertisement -