Reasons to Call in Sick From Work

Calling in sick from work is important for the following reasons:

• You’re unproductive when you’re sick. When you feel under the weather, it’s hard to get any quality work done. In between a raging headache, sniffly nose, or rising temperature, it can be challenging to focus. You’re likely better off staying home and giving yourself a chance to relax.
• You may shorten your illness. Many of us are accustomed to constantly living on the go. By continuing to push through your illness, you’re likely only going to make matters worse. Your body needs to rest and relaxation to get better. By taking a full day off, you can get better sooner.
• You might get your coworkers sick. Showing up to work sick can spread your illness to others. As people become more aware of infectious diseases, it’s becoming even more important to stay home when you’re sick.
• You can prepare your team. Calling in sick is a courteous thing to do so your team can plan for your absence. As soon as you think you’re too sick to come in, make the call. If you can figure out how to delegate your work ahead of your call and let your team know the plan when you call in, that can be especially helpful.

Learn more: A Guide to Professionalism in the Workplace

Here is a list of good reasons to call in sick for work:

• You have an infectious illness. No one wants your cold or flu. Stay at home until your doctor tells you it’s safe to go back to work. You never know if you could spread your illness by coming in sick to work.
• You have a physical ailment. There may be times where you don’t necessarily have an illness, but your body is still preventing you from working comfortably. Migraines, body aches, and nausea are all legitimate reasons to call into work. This is especially true for people who suffer from chronic pain. If you miss a lot of days due to chronic issues, you may want to discuss this with your manager. They may allow you to work from home on such days.
• You need a mental health day. Taking care of your mental health is an important part of living a healthy life. Stress can lead to a variety of physical health problems, so it’s important to take a day off when you’re feeling overwhelmed. This way, you can get a chance to either catch up on life or even take a day to relax. If you’re experiencing other mental health issues, taking a day off gives you the time to seek the support you need.

Learn more: How to Handle Mental Health Issues In The Workplace

Along with feeling sick, there are many other reasons to call into work. Be honest about why you need to miss a day, and avoid calling in as sick when there’s actually another reason you won’t be able to come into the office. Here are some common reasons you may need to stay home from work:

• Your family member is sick. Parents with young children often need to call into work when their child is sick. That’s because it can be quite challenging to find a caretaker at a moment’s notice. Likewise, many childcare workers would prefer not to risk getting ill at work too. Even if you feel fine, you may want to consider staying home from work if your family member has an infectious illness. You can still be a carrier without symptoms.
• You have a family emergency. Throughout life, things are going to come up that prevent you from coming into work. For example, your employer typically shouldn’t expect you to come into work if you experienced a sudden death in the family.
• There is severe weather. If you think severe weather is going to make your commute unsafe, you may want to stay home from work. See if your employer will give you the option to work from home. Driving through hurricane conditions or a snowstorm is unwise, especially during rush hour.
• Your home is in trouble. If one of your appliances is on the fritz, you may need to stay home to take care of it. This is especially true if a pipe is leaking or your heat isn’t working in freezing temperatures. While certain problems can wait until you get home from work, you may need to address others immediately.

When calling in sick to work, follow these tips:

• Be honest. Lying about being sick to get out of work is unethical and may catch up to you. If you really need a day off, plan ahead and use your paid time off. This way, you can fully enjoy your day and not have to come up with any dishonest excuses.
• Keep it brief. Your employer doesn’t need to hear every little detail about your illness. Simply saying that you feel unwell is enough. They should be able to trust that you truly are sick. There is no need to cough on the phone to prove you are sick.
• Follow company policy. While many employers appreciate you calling in sick, there may be alternative ways to notify them. For example, your workplace may prefer it in writing. When sending a sick day email, try to send it as soon as you can. This way your team can plan accordingly.