Life will always include some level of illness. Even the most diligent workers will occasionally need to miss work due to illness, even if it wasn’t something they had anticipated. How to tell your boss you are sick? Let’s see…
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Things To Consider Before Telling Your Boss Your Sick
The primary factor to take into account is the sick leave or absence policy of your employer.
Your employer may have a set protocol that specifies who to notify when you are out sick, how to notify them, and when to notify them.
Find out how many sick days you are permitted to take each year, as well as whether you will be compensated for any missed work.
Can You Take How Many Sick Days?
You may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in the UK. If you want to know if you have any rights to contractual sick pay benefits, check your employment contract.
If you are ill for more than seven days (including non-working days like weekends and holidays), you must provide a doctor’s note (GP fit note), but you can self-certify your absence for the first seven days.
Only about 68% of civilian workers in the US have access to paid sick time.
Even though some employers don’t specify a maximum number of days, the standard entitlement is eight days annually. For details regarding your eligibility for sick pay, consult your employment contract.
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Any unused sick time that is not used up may be carried over to the following leave year.
Early on in your employment, it’s a good idea to check with your boss, read the employee handbook, or review the employee absence policy. This will make sure you are familiar with the procedure in case you ever need to take time off work due to illness.
You might be able to work from home or take vacation days in lieu of going to your regular place of employment, depending on your job role, industry, and personal circumstances.
If you are recovering from a contagious illness but don’t want to spread any germs, or if you have to stay at home to care for sick family members or relatives, this might be a good option.
If you are not feeling well enough to work from home, you should not feel obligated to do so.
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Ways On How To Notify Your Boss
When contacting your boss, it’s critical to use the appropriate channel. You might not need to call your boss on the phone, despite the fact that people often say to “call in sick.” Instead, you might send a text, email, or letter. Only 25% of employees send texts, while 53% of employees call in sick over the phone.
Make sure you are aware of the preferred contact method for your boss. To write your own, refer to some sample emails and letters of excuse for illness and absence.
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What To Say When You Are In Sick?
Do not forget that your situation and the business you work for will determine the precise wording of your call, text, or email.
We’ve included these examples to give you a helpful place to start that you can modify for your specific needs.
We are aware that there are some days when you don’t feel well but still need to take a break. For a number of reasons, such as having to go to a job interview or rest up from a late-night flight, you might need to do this.
If your employer offers this as part of your benefits package, they might let you take a personal day or “duvet day” in these circumstances.
If not, you might decide to cancel your appointment.
In this case, you will need to follow the guidelines set out earlier in this article, but there are a few other things to consider:
Time It Right
It always seems a little suspicious to call in sick on a Monday or Friday, or right before or after a holiday (or the office Christmas party). Your boss might assume that you’re trying to extend your vacation time or that you’re just getting over a long weekend. Avoid calling in sick during a particularly challenging time at work. Consider scheduling your sick day for a non-busy day when your absence won’t be as noticeable.
Keep It Extra Brief
You won’t want to engage in a lengthy conversation about your absence if you’re fabricating an illness. The likelihood that you will be exposed increases with the number of lies you tell. If your employer doesn’t mandate it, avoid making a phone call and give a brief explanation of why you’re absent. Keep your responses succinct and direct if your boss asks you any questions.
Never Go Too Far
All of us have witnessed actors in movies make up an absence from work. The best course of action is not to sneeze loudly or put on a fake voice when speaking on the phone. Keep it straightforward and credible.
Put Extra Effort Into Return
You’ll likely need to put in extra effort to catch up after your day off. This is particularly valid if you’ve taken a covert personal day. You will need to dispel any suspicions or worries your boss may have by proving that you are a diligent worker who is dedicated to your work.
Never Confess To Your Coworkers
Keep your coworkers in the dark about your desire to spend the day at home on the couch if you’ve already informed your boss that you’re sick. Even your friends could make a mistake and tell your boss the truth about your absence because information like this has a way of getting out. Your employment contract might suffer as a result of this.
Apply Caution When Posting On Social Media
If you call in sick and then post selfies of yourself lying on the beach, it’s a little bit of a giveaway. Don’t share anything about your day off on social media. By doing this, you’ll stop your boss from receiving unwanted information.
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Conclusion
Being on the phone or writing an email can often be the last thing you want to do when you’re sick. Because of this, choosing to text rather than call in ill is growing in popularity. But is informing your employer by the text of your illness always appropriate? And what should you write when you text in sick? To assist you, we looked at what the experts had to say and put up a handbook with all the information you require, as well as sample texts you may send your boss if you’re feeling under the weather.
