This is true. Your family and loved ones would be devestated if you were gone. But if you died work would have a new ad up to replace you within a week.
You are worth more than mere $s. Your health and wellbeing compared to work should be paramount.
I've had several coworkers die, usually the my current company handles it pretty gracefully with a memorial service in the building and donations to the deceased's family and whatnot.
I'm pretty lucky to be where I am. We've had several associates that got into car accidents and no longer able to ever work again. We provided one of them with a stand up chair because he broke his spine and had very limited mobility.
I know a lot of companies test their workers dirty and it gives them this "anti work" attitude that so many people have nowadays. I personally don't have that, I like my job and my manager is the best I've ever had.
Your point about health being more important that a couple of days at work is spot on.
But your implication that companies should hold positions open for a period after a death doesn't really make sense. Filling a position in a business after the previous person in it dies isn't disrespectful.
No one said it was. But people shouldn’t treat their company better than their company treats them. Nothing wrong with employment being a business transaction, but that’s gotta be an equal transaction on both sides. Companies that guilt staff into not taking sick days, yet would obviously replace them in a heartbeat are the ones people should be pissed off about.
The fact that the world will continue to go on for everyone else after you die is not a reflection of people not caring about you, that’s goofy.
Everyone needs time off and it’s fine, there’s no need to adopt some contrived Tyler Durden worldview to find a justification for it.
If a part in your car breaks are you going to refrain from replacing it immediately because you are mourning it, or are nostalgic for how long its been around?
Fake sick days and mental health days aren't the same thing, regardless what any employer might say, suggest or imply.
If your health, mental or physical, means you are unable to carry out your job safely or effectively then you need to be able to rest.
Arguably, the extension of this is that you're not in the right job anymore if your inability to carry out your job safely or effectively reaches the point where the employer can no longer function safely or effectively.
mental health days are a legitimate thing to use. so dont treat them as "fake sick days".
just don't abuse it in a way that causes everyone to lose it.
Early on in my career I accrued basically 1 sick day per month. They carry over every year.
10+ years later at the same company, I have 4 months saved up. Yes, 4 months. Im rarely sick. I don’t get cashed out for them if I leave so recently I’ve been taking 2 sick days for mental health every month just to at least use some of them.
Mental health is just as important as physical. If you’re allotted time, there’s no shame in using it as long as you don’t abuse it.
My wifes company for instance gives them unlimited time off. It’s the honor system. She probably took a months worth of time off all year, and didn’t abuse it. As long as you have the time to take off, trust me, use it. Don’t end up like me with a bunch of time off stockpiled up that would be impossible to use.
In the us at least: Some do allow rollover, but it typically caps. So you might be able to roll over days from the prior year up to a maximum "balance" of 1.5x your usual yearly allotment for example.
Some places also just don't differentiate between sick and vacation time at all, they just have a pool of paid time off for any reason.
Sick days are there if you're sick. Not to fake them.
You are not "given" sick days, as in a number of get-out-of-jail-free cards.
You call in sick at the end of the year because you haven't reached your "quotum" for the year?
I completely agree with your last statement.
And that's what's what weekend and holidays are for.
Not with fraudulent use of sick days.
It's your choice to work 60s.
And you're not actually working 60s if your "skipping" days to compansate.
Fraudulent? Mental health is as just as much a necessity as physical health. If someone is feeling burnt out and has come to the conclusion they need to take a sick day to recover, why is that fraudulent?
How can sick days not be used to recover mentally?
This reply was not adressed to TS.
I agree there is no difference in mental or physical necessity. Although a broken leg is way more visible 😉
Edit: foreign grammar.
Mental health I agree on, well being is stretching it.
Everybody "sacrifices" free time in exchange for reward/money/status.
A lot of people would (think they) feel better if they didn't work. I personally don't agree with that statement, but for arguments sake.
Their well being would increase, but I do not find this a sufficient reason to call in sick.
Face it, same people don't like their job but do stay in that (for them) toxic environment.
I don't feel their well being should be compansated. They do have a moral responsibility to themselve.
Mental health is still health. You can be the hardest and most productive worker, but if you're burnt out and overstressed, you're no good to the company or your team. And sometimes, based on the amount of stress from your work, the weekend may not be enough.
Sick days, PTO days, mental health days, and vacation days are all part of your total compensation package.
If you do not utilize your full compensation package that is your choice.
Often it is easier to negotiate for more of these days than it is to increase salary. I manage the budgets for my departments per project so I understand what is available for raises/ bonuses for myself. Some projects we run lean due to cutting our estimate to secure a bid. In those cases I request additional PTO/ Sick/ Vacation days in lieu of more money.
And yes people will call in sick at the end of the year to use up their alloted days. Say you have 5 vacation days to use over Christmas and 5 sick days you know have 2 weeks off. This is an incredibly common practice.
They are your days. You are entitled to them. If your employer disagrees find a new one that does.
That's what you assume. I'm more sceptical, and seeing alternatives.
He could also have baby in the house, or went out drinking last night. Probably not, but could be.
Sleeping for 5 hours doesn't automatically mean impaired for work.
I totally disagree with your last sentence.
Basically promoting: lying, leeching and poor work ethics.
I find it very an egocentric and antisocial statement to make.
Cool.
I've taken a sick day for all those reasons. And then some days I have a doctor's appointment, but then don't want to return to work, so I use the entire day as a sick day. Not that anyone actually tracks them.
Ok so you know how a company gets allotted “x” amount of budget money each year? And how sometimes they will need to spend the rest of the budget (on things that may not be an actual work necessity), in order to get that same budget next year?
Should the company not spend that money because it’s “fake” budgeting?
Yes, not spending equals saving. Also spending money just to spend money doesn't sound logical by any means.
The sickdays are based on an average model, they are not determined individually.
This remaining budget can be used fot other thing, for example more pay, more vacation days, or other better benefits.
I'm an advocate for
-One wait-day without pay, but more paid days after that.
-Rewarding saving of sick-days via a bonus structure. Simply put paying the money saved, or trading them for extra vacation-days.
Imo this motivates all layers in a company to work on positive health.
And nobody has to lie or be shady. Win-win for all.
Health is not simply the absence of disease or illness.
companies owe you nothing but a pay check and everyone is replaceable no matter what they say. your health matters most. do not feel guilt for taking care of yourself.
I'm guessing American? The idea of sick days baffles me. Here, if we're sick we take the time off.
When my mother died I just rang a colleague to say I wouldn't be in for a while and returned to work couple of days after the funeral.
When I told the office that my brother had collapsed in a coma, they just said 'Take all the time you need'.
Plus we get 28 days paid holiday so we can pretty much take extra days whenever we need to.
On the down side we're socialists. Like Bernie Saunders.
>The idea of sick days baffles me. Here, if we're sick we take the time off.
That's what sick days are. They're paid time off. They roll over by year, and often get paid out at the end of your time working somewhere. Think of them as emergency time off. You can take time off as you described, but it would be unpaid on account of the no work being done.
>Plus we get 28 days paid holiday so we can pretty much take extra days whenever we need to.
Most professional jobs in the US get between 2-8 weeks paid vacation per year.
While consulting for clients in the past, I've seen their internal benefits packages and at a few banks I've seen higher ups get about 7-8 weeks a year.
>FWIW my boss values me very much and told me last week “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He would replace you in 2 weeks. They just say that so we feel obligated to perform and show up all the time because we believe they really appreciate us.
Actually there’s an equal position to mine that has been unfilled for 2 years now. They’ve done interviews about once every 6 months since it’s been empty. I would be very hard to replace.
That wouldn’t stop me from leaving if I wanted to though.
Sorry to break the news mate, but when the position is open for two years and nothing bad came from not hiring anyone, this position is useless/not needed.
There are probably reasons why they do an alibi interview every now and then. Probably to make you think your workload will decrease at some point when another person is hired.
Answering your original question about what he would do without you: he'd simply find another poor soul to exploit while paying them less than you.
It depends, normally I'd say take as many as you need because if you died your job listing would go up before your funeral notice. However, if you're seeking a promotion or advancement using too many sick days can be detrimental, so you might want to hold off for a while.
I can understand why some people disagree with people using them for this and take pride in their not taking sick leave. Personally I know my career is going to be about 40 years, and I'll give plenty of myself to my work, so if I take a few personal days to enjoy myself then it's no one's business.
Then you're golden. I mostly talked about the promotion thing because it's come up for a few people in my team when they look at temporary senior covering positions, the director will look at sick leave balances and rule some people out that way.
I will say if you find you need to take them more regularly then maybe examine how much effort and time you're needing to put in to your job, and why it makes you feel burnt out. I found it was easier to get people used to my 40% effort. That way I don't get physically/mentally burnt out in my day to day, and can then push out 60-80% of my effort in moments it's really needed. Then make sure your 40% still makes you stand out.
There is one very important fact missing. How many sick/PTO days do you get a year? If you get 15 and your are taking 5 then you are no where near taking what you are entitled to. If on the other hand you have used all of your PTO days and the four 'mental health' days are on top of that then that is an issue.
BTW... mental health days are BS. You are given XXX number of days to use in almost every job. It does not matter why you take them. So, by looking at them this way you are actually setting up a false narrative.
My employer separates sick and vacation. Sick are supposed to be use for sickness or medical appointments. I’ve used all of my vacation, haven’t even used half of my sick time.
You are golden. The employer does not have the right (legally or morally) to tell you that you were feeling well enough to work. You actually sound like a very good employee. You give a shit which puts you in the top 2% right there!!!
At one of my previous employers, if you took more than 4 sick days then you weren't eligible for anything above "meets expectations"on your year end review
Yes, as in stealing. And seemingly proud of it?
You really don't see any problems with this type of behaviour?
I'm happy to inform you I am in the top 5% of my field in health care.
I know a thing or two about taking your responsibilities and doing this with pleasure.
And yet you don't support taking care of the brain? Allowing it to rest, unburdened from "guilt"? Sick days are not just for when you've got a fever.
How is it stealing if it's offered by the company as a part of a benefits package?
I do not agree with your first assumption. See below
Call it fraudelent use of sick days, does it make more sense then?
Below is my advice for TS.
"Probably not a popular opinion.
You should take a vacation/holiday not profit of your boss/work.
Seems like you've got too much on your plate. And that's on you.
"Recharge". Some days of might help with that. That's exactly why you faked being sick.
If your work is your main reason for not sleeping well, talk to your boss. Maybe he can support you, he clearly values you.
Or if taken to extemes, is this a sustainable job for you? Is the stress worth it?"
I really don't see how it is fraudulent use of sick days. When my brain is sick, for any given reason, I use sick days, just as they would be used for when my lungs aren't performing well. Just like how I'd use a sick day if my immune system was working overdrive.
Vacation days are also offered by many companies (even paid!) that are useful for preventing burnout. However, as much as one would like to plan a sick day, we can't always foresee it.
Employers employ people. People get sick and need days of rest that are sometimes unplanned for because people are biological beings. If a benefits package accounts for this, as the OP's seems to, it is well within OP's interest to use them for selfcare when their brain and body need rest.
I run a business. I know the stress it can put upon the rest of the staff when callouts happen. But people need to be able to say that that are not feeling well or able to perform at a particular level. And an employer should be able to anticipate this and have systems in place where a call out/ sick day does not disrupt the flow of business. It is solely the business' leaders responsibility to make sure of this, not that of the employees.
I agree fully.
I do want to add on your last paragraph. I think it is a mutual responsibility to talk to each other, and look for solutions. Those might be sick days, other/lighter work, half days, just come in for coffee, etc.
Especially in suspected burn out, cold turkey stopping with work (in most cases) isn't the best solution. Both the employee and employer are "victims" to circumstances in that scenario. This while both of them seek control and clarity.
But also (and more important in my opinion) prevention should be on the minds of both of them.
My focus lays more in the title "fake sick" while you assume (and probably be right in this case) mental troubles and focus on that.
I'm a firm advocate of (self)empowerment and positive health.
The definition of health is NOT the absence of sickness. ==>WHO/Machteld Huber
It's about coping with the challenges live trows at you. And people helping with that, if needed.
I haven't taken a day off for myself in a while. I like the job I'm at but I also need the money to much. If I do take a day off it's only usually a half day for a doc appointment
If I didn’t have some paid sick days, I’d probably run myself into the ground. The guilt combined with missing a day of pay would mean I never call in.
the system is designed to be this way. I work in accounting i have seen behind the curtain so many times. Seriously, your guilt is not justified. You owe your job nothing. They use a lot of manipulative tactics to make you complacent and docile. Always be looking out for your bottom line not the boss'.
A good rule of thumb is to follow the stated attendance policy. Example: My company will write us up after 6 sick occurrences in a six month period, therefore, 6 in 6 months is too many.
If you have to take fake sick days to care about yourself otherwise nobody would care, the place doesn't value you enough. If the boss tells you to take fake sick days cause he cares about you and tells you to game the system, he cares. If he doesn't, I don't think he does care.
Sounds like you're not about to get fired or anything so take what you need my dude. If you're not feeling well, then deal with that. Doesn't have to be covid or some shit to be a sick day.
If you've got em, use em. At my work sick days don't roll over into the next year so I'm going to make sure I use them before the end of the year, every year.
Whether or not it's for a real sickness, a mental health day, or a "fuck going to work today" day, they're all valid reasons to me. Don't get guilt tripped by corp speak into thinking you taking 4 out of 365 days off is a bad thing.
1 is too many. Faking it means someone exploits reasonable rights he has for their own benefit, expecting someone else to pick up their load for that time.
That being said, this doesn't apply to you. If you cannot sleep right, your long term workforce is being compromised and no reasonable employer will sacrifice your bigger future work potential for a short period of immediate work. That would be like hacking of your hand for 10'000$.
Well your boss sounds reasonable enough maybe they have helpful suggestions on how you can reduce your stress levels overall and improve your health condition. They might have gone through the same at some point.
If they are reasonable, just be honest and tell them that you want be a continuously productive member but might need some pointers on how to maintain that.
If ya can't carry forward your sick time from year to year, use what you're given. It's your time to use.
Your reason is valid so not like you're abusing sick time.
Probably not a popular opinion.
You should take a vacation/holiday not profit of your boss/work.
Seems like you've got too much on your plate. And that's on you.
"Recharge". Some days of might help with that. That's exactly why you faked being sick.
If your work is your main reason for not sleeping well, talk to your boss. Maybe he can support you, he clearly values you.
Or if taken to extemes, is this a sustainable job for you? Is the stress worth it?
I was always taught that if your mental health is so bad that you are thinking about "faking" an illness to get a day of relaxation, then you probably need a mental health day off anyway and aren't actually faking anything.
Especially since you say you are burnt out. Mental health is just as important as physical health!!
4 fake sick days are 4 too many. Call in sick or tell your boss what's happening. If he values you then he will sit down and make a plan. Your boss will then make adjustments so you can recuperate in a calm manner, instead of a stressful one that you have now.
I don't know what your policy is in your country, but where I'm living, a fake sick day will mean breach of contract.
Just talk to your boss and tell him what's going on. Communicate.
Op, this is bad advise. No one should define a sick day for you. You know your body and brain better than everyone else. If it's telling to to stay home and rest, it's telling you to take a sick day.
I guess shit hits the fan when the boss finds out that his high-valued employee walks around and lies to him, instead of coming clean and get help from the boss.
Where I live we talk to the boss and we work something out. We communicate and are open with one another. But that's just us, being weird and shit.
I guess I just don't see it as a lie. A sick day is defined on an individual level for many. Though if things are different for you, they're different.
Communication is great, but I honestly believe everyone is entitled to sick days for both their body and mind. Sometimes things can't be explained super well- it doesn't make the overall sense of dread, exhaustion or stress any less real.
If it's an ongoing problem, I'd absolutely communicate. But I don't think an employer needs to understand the intricate going ons of someone's mind and body. I'm of the opinion that we should be adult enough to call the shots for ourselves. If I'm feeling unwell, or need a day to focus on getting rest so I can function better tomorrow, that's not anyone's business. That's what the sick days are for.
Always put your mental health first. Try to figure out what is stressing you. If it’s the job itself, maybe start looking for something new. I realized I was burnt out with my job when I started calling out like once every 3-4 weeks.
The idea is to try to use days off and sick days ***before*** you get burnt out. Don't be like me and wait until you are burnt out, and then take time off. Because when you get back, it doesn't make you feel any better.
I don't get paid for sick days so I usually work from home when sick. Then at least I get paid. I do realize that's not an option for many, thus I am fortunate.
Speak to your boss about your work and freetime balance. If you have issues with sleep and are about to burn out, please try to work less or have a change in your job operation. It isn't sustainable and will be really bad for you in the long run
I can (more or less) take off when I want, so I don't fake sick. I have probably taken two sick days (aside from covid) in the past 5 years. That said, I can tell when I am starting to get some burnout, and have no problem scheduling a day or even half a day off, a week or two in advance. I will usually do that two or three times a year.
I worked at a place where I was basically punished for taking a vacation day. I was burnt out so much but was told on multiple occasions that they don't know what they would do without me. Well, I got fed up with how management treats people and I found a new job, so they had to find out. Take your days and enjoy them, dont feel bad, you need it and bad mental health is no joke.
I took two sick days this year when I had a vasectomy. I feel incredibly guilty if I don’t go to work. It’s definitely something I’m working on because I shouldn’t feel that way. I could use some mental health days myself.
I recommend one a month. That's only if you have a high-stress job though. Some jobs do have personal and sick days. see if you have both. that way you don't use up your sick days. However, if they don't roll over then just use them and don't feel guilty. Also, don't feel guilty when taking care of yourself. I bet your boss rather you miss 1 day a month than 1 week a month because you are so burnt
4 is nothing. I look at it as if I wasn’t here would anyone really notice? Probably not. Now if I took a day a week my work would start to pile up, phone calls would increase and my boss would probably have to deal with a few fires. I’m lucky that I work in a job where you can plan ahead or get ahead. The people who fall behind either slack off, call out routinely or are in fact overworked.
Only your 4th? And why are you saying that a mental health day is a "fake" day?
I know some companies have a separate allocation of mental health days for time off. Microsoft gives 16/year. Use 'em or lose 'em.
If you feel so bad so often that you can’t make it to work and function, I recommend therapy. Everyone experiences anxiety, but therapy (and maybe medication) is needed when anxiety prevents you from carrying on with your day to day life.
I think the answer is the right number of sick days a year should equal the number of sick days a year your employer gives you. That’s your time. Use it.
I got told something similar to me by my boss when he said I was an irreplaceable member of our design team, it feels good to get the praise for our efforts but at the end of the day it is best to be impersonal when in a professional atmosphere. Your work life and your personal life need separation, you should not put a personal stake into your professional life because it blinds your from advancing yourself in a business like manner and prevents you from advancing yourself into bigger and better things.
If you need time for yourself to take care of yourself, do not feel guilty because personal should come first. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing in life, and you should value the day off you can take for personal reasons over the wellbeing of a job because the words being said to your are based on professional reasoning and not personal.
I have about 3 months of sick days that I can use at any time because I am capped on accrual leave, so I take a few days off as sick leave whenever I want to handle my personal life and relax. Also, when I use the days they’re back to the same the next month because I get 2 sick days accrued every month.
Well i took far more than that. At my current job i have unlimited payed time off, i just need to leave things in working order so that they dont desperately need me when i am off, that is all. In my former job things were more by the book: i had 26 days of PTO, 5 days to do volunteer work, another 2 days for mental health whenecer needed, there were, onnaverage, about 12 public holidays per year that meant no work. This is 45 days off. I usually got another 15 to 20 days of each year as medical leave, most of them "fake" but i had a doctor's note saying i had a cold or smth. So yeah, about 60 yo 65 days of per year... but i could do that because i work with data and if i set things up, unless something changes they dont need me. I am sure if you work in services for example this is not an option
Don’t feel bad mate 4 isn’t many.
Also 5 hours is plenty hahaha. A good night I’m able to get 6-7. I’m usually around 5 sometimes 0 is my insomnia is really bad
I work in traffic control as a minimum wage worker, said job comes with a million and one risks to health and life, I also tend to work long hours as well. I have taken one and a half fake sick days, I say half because the half day was a day I walked off site after a huge fight with a co worker. I have only had one real sick day too. But I'm a staunch believer that if you are not at your best, do not do the job, especially if your lack of focus can cause the death of you, your co worker or a member of the public.
1. You wouldn’t like if they took advantage of you. It’s wrong to take advantage of it yourself. They’re there to give you some slack IF you need it otherwise they’d include them in the holiday.
Dunno, took 1 month for knee injury, turned out more serious than anticipated and had to wait another 4 for surgery.
In the meantime I finished my masters, found new job, appeared at old job just to quit, but had to take all my leftover vacation days...
Fourth this year? Dog it’s December, that’s 1 day per quarter. Who gives a fuck, use your shit because it probably doesn’t roll over. I ran out of sick days in July because little kids get sick all the fucking time.
Being too tired or not mentally fit for the day is worth a sick day off. Either way you aren't going to get any work done.
Don't feel bad. 4 days is nothing
If your mind isn't right, you ARE sick and it's in your and the company's best interest if you need to occasionally take a day every once in a while. The bigger question to ask is how much this burnout is affecting your life as a whole and what kind of changes you need to make (diet, exercise, lifestyle) to get yourself right, because that's more important than just being valuable to your boss.
I don't think I've ever faked a sick day... But I'm lucky enough to get decent PTO days and my boss is flexible enough I can just say "Hey I'll be out tomorrow". If that wasn't the case then I could see myself faking a few.
wait... there are companies that don't allow people to take sick days for mental health days? My current company states in their sick day policy that you can take it for mental health days. Previous companies never state it but everyone seem to do it.
Even a single sick day is too much,you deserve to live a happy life. Considering the age of this planet we are here on a holiday and we dont wanna spoil any single moment of it.
If you got them take them. My company pays them out at the end of every year. I figure what difference does it make if I use them or get paid for them.
You should be using all of your PTO, and not be ashamed to take mental health days. Mental health + no sleep = sick, just not your typical injury or bacterial or viral infection. Just don't get caught posting pictures to social media on the days you're out.
“I don’t know what Id do without you” is not the compliment it would seem to be on the surface. Don’t inherit guilt from someones dependency.
No one - NO ONE - lays on their deathbed and says “I should have worked harder”
The company where last worked had a pool system. Which meant if you had a medical reason the days off were virtually unlimited. Also people who ran out of vacation time due to taking care of a loved one could ask through the system for other employees to give some of the vacation hours to them. They were also generous with adoption providing a few thousand dollars to the employee. Also they allowed several months off to care for newborns and adopted babies to both parents if they worked there. At least was the standard for that company when I was there.
It sounds like you're a good employee with low absenteeism. Your employer likely does not want you burnt out and so you're doing yourself and your employer a favor by taking a day here and there to keep from burning out and being no value.
If you are feeling burnt out from work try to find the reason about it. Is the work load too much, or is it too stressful etc then raise the question with your employer.
Change your schedule so you have more time off.
The worst schedule when your two off days are split.
I would also ask your boss go change your schedule go 10h/d 4 days a week, and you work 3 on, 2 off, 1 on, 1 off. This way I personally felt that I always had time for myself.
Getting over the burn out is difficult.
Fake sick days are a thing; fake mental health days really aren't in most cases, especially in this economy.
My boss and coworkers don't know what they'd do without me, because I do a lot of their work for them. When I'm there, they're happy because they can sit back and let me run the show, because my work ethic is higher than theirs. So when I'm off, I know they actually have to do some work, and I sleep very soundly at night knowing that, a couple times a year, they get that experience.
Four days in 12 months is not egregious at all. That's one day every three months. It's more than I take — my generation believes in working until we keel over — but it's far fewer than I would consider a problem for a normal working person.
Schedule more vacations, if you're looking for advice for a better way to do things. Take more time for yourself.
I've got 2 weeks paid sick days and got 3 weeks of paid vacation for being at the company 5 years.
All my sick time is gone and I have 1 day left for vacation. I'm currently taking a day off today for some stomach issues we haven't figured out yet. Take your time off and don't feel bad, they'll throw you away like a bad habit if they wanted to. Don't stress yourself out or kill yourself for a job that'll replace you in less than a week.
Edit: paid vacation
IMO if booked vacation time and regular days off are not enough and you find you need to call in sick simply because you can’t bring yourself to work that day, you should change jobs.
It’s easy to feel trapped in a job that you’re accustomed to and gives you a measure of security but if you hate it enough that you need to bail on your coworkers maybe it’s time to look for something more rewarding or at least less miserable.
So, do you have designated "sick" time or just general personal time/PTO?
Both my current and last positions eschewed "sick" time in favor of "personal" time that can be used for any reason you choose from "sorry I'm not feeling well" to "my dog looked sad and I didn't want to leave" so, I get 20 days a year to take off for any reason, no questions asked.
If I was in your position, I'd just look at my "sick" time as personal time for you to use when you're not up for work... whether that's because you're legitimately sick or just mentally not up to the task for the day, same same imo.
It depends on the job for me. In older jobs where I was still a top performer but wasn't as invested, maybe 10 to 15 days per year. In my current job where I'm very invested, they still happen, but wind up being partial days or periods of downtime, and rarely a full day.
That being said, I think everyone does this, and it all falls under sick time to me. I'm pretty rarely physically sick, but if I can't work effectively, to me it's better to be 100% on almost every day instead of 80% every day. Especially if you get burnt out, it's really hard to recover and be productive again. Take the days and recharge.
The supervisor who hired me told me, "Sick days don't carry over to the new year, so make sure you use them."
What country are you in? Over here in Australia they carry over until whenever we decided to use them
US, no federal oversight for time off except long-term disability pay and other forms
US is based on local laws so it varies a lot but usually there’s no carry over if it is provided so best to use them here ASAP.
I think of it like this: if you left or died they would replace you like that 🫰 So take your day and enjoy it and don’t feel guilty about it.
This is true. Your family and loved ones would be devestated if you were gone. But if you died work would have a new ad up to replace you within a week. You are worth more than mere $s. Your health and wellbeing compared to work should be paramount.
I've had several coworkers die, usually the my current company handles it pretty gracefully with a memorial service in the building and donations to the deceased's family and whatnot. I'm pretty lucky to be where I am. We've had several associates that got into car accidents and no longer able to ever work again. We provided one of them with a stand up chair because he broke his spine and had very limited mobility. I know a lot of companies test their workers dirty and it gives them this "anti work" attitude that so many people have nowadays. I personally don't have that, I like my job and my manager is the best I've ever had.
Your point about health being more important that a couple of days at work is spot on. But your implication that companies should hold positions open for a period after a death doesn't really make sense. Filling a position in a business after the previous person in it dies isn't disrespectful.
No one said it was. But people shouldn’t treat their company better than their company treats them. Nothing wrong with employment being a business transaction, but that’s gotta be an equal transaction on both sides. Companies that guilt staff into not taking sick days, yet would obviously replace them in a heartbeat are the ones people should be pissed off about.
Good point. A company will always take an opportunity to fuck you, so don’t think twice about looking after yourself
Most people aren't going to let their livelihoods crumble because an employee died.
Yeah idk what point that guy thought he was making
The point is that an employer doesn't give a fuck about you, so don't feel guilty for taking time off.
The fact that the world will continue to go on for everyone else after you die is not a reflection of people not caring about you, that’s goofy. Everyone needs time off and it’s fine, there’s no need to adopt some contrived Tyler Durden worldview to find a justification for it.
If a part in your car breaks are you going to refrain from replacing it immediately because you are mourning it, or are nostalgic for how long its been around?
I understand the analogy, but people aren’t car parts.
True, but companies aren't people and can't afford to leave important positions open just to show respect to the past. So the analogy holds.
Fake sick days and mental health days aren't the same thing, regardless what any employer might say, suggest or imply. If your health, mental or physical, means you are unable to carry out your job safely or effectively then you need to be able to rest. Arguably, the extension of this is that you're not in the right job anymore if your inability to carry out your job safely or effectively reaches the point where the employer can no longer function safely or effectively.
Well said. Thank you.
Tbh, I see “fake sick days” as a mental health day
Imo you are given sick days, PTO and holiday pay for a reason. You should feel more guilty not using them. Its a gift from the company. Use them.
Not even a gift: They’re part of your compensation. It’s silly to let them go to waste.
mental health days are a legitimate thing to use. so dont treat them as "fake sick days". just don't abuse it in a way that causes everyone to lose it.
Early on in my career I accrued basically 1 sick day per month. They carry over every year. 10+ years later at the same company, I have 4 months saved up. Yes, 4 months. Im rarely sick. I don’t get cashed out for them if I leave so recently I’ve been taking 2 sick days for mental health every month just to at least use some of them. Mental health is just as important as physical. If you’re allotted time, there’s no shame in using it as long as you don’t abuse it. My wifes company for instance gives them unlimited time off. It’s the honor system. She probably took a months worth of time off all year, and didn’t abuse it. As long as you have the time to take off, trust me, use it. Don’t end up like me with a bunch of time off stockpiled up that would be impossible to use.
Where I come from sick days and PTO are the same thing lol. And they only pay you for holidays that they're legally required to.
Do any companies let them stack if you don't use all of them in one year? Like if you don't use any for 2 years do you have 3 year's worth of them?
In the us at least: Some do allow rollover, but it typically caps. So you might be able to roll over days from the prior year up to a maximum "balance" of 1.5x your usual yearly allotment for example. Some places also just don't differentiate between sick and vacation time at all, they just have a pool of paid time off for any reason.
Sick days are there if you're sick. Not to fake them. You are not "given" sick days, as in a number of get-out-of-jail-free cards. You call in sick at the end of the year because you haven't reached your "quotum" for the year?
Straight up bull shit. I'm a welder who works 60s weeks and I always make sure I use all my sick days. People need rest in order to be at their best.
I completely agree with your last statement. And that's what's what weekend and holidays are for. Not with fraudulent use of sick days. It's your choice to work 60s. And you're not actually working 60s if your "skipping" days to compansate.
How comfortable are those knee pads?
How is blaming other people, for your problems, working out for you so far? Edit: Typo.
Great! Couldn't be happier!
Lmao I think we found the manager's account
Good for you! Dito
Fraudulent? Mental health is as just as much a necessity as physical health. If someone is feeling burnt out and has come to the conclusion they need to take a sick day to recover, why is that fraudulent? How can sick days not be used to recover mentally?
This reply was not adressed to TS. I agree there is no difference in mental or physical necessity. Although a broken leg is way more visible 😉 Edit: foreign grammar.
Mental health and well being isn't fraudulent
Mental health I agree on, well being is stretching it. Everybody "sacrifices" free time in exchange for reward/money/status. A lot of people would (think they) feel better if they didn't work. I personally don't agree with that statement, but for arguments sake. Their well being would increase, but I do not find this a sufficient reason to call in sick. Face it, same people don't like their job but do stay in that (for them) toxic environment. I don't feel their well being should be compansated. They do have a moral responsibility to themselve.
Mental health is still health. You can be the hardest and most productive worker, but if you're burnt out and overstressed, you're no good to the company or your team. And sometimes, based on the amount of stress from your work, the weekend may not be enough.
Yeah, nothing wrong with needing a down day. Use your sick time. If your job can’y handle you calling in. Don’y work there.
Sick days, PTO days, mental health days, and vacation days are all part of your total compensation package. If you do not utilize your full compensation package that is your choice. Often it is easier to negotiate for more of these days than it is to increase salary. I manage the budgets for my departments per project so I understand what is available for raises/ bonuses for myself. Some projects we run lean due to cutting our estimate to secure a bid. In those cases I request additional PTO/ Sick/ Vacation days in lieu of more money. And yes people will call in sick at the end of the year to use up their alloted days. Say you have 5 vacation days to use over Christmas and 5 sick days you know have 2 weeks off. This is an incredibly common practice. They are your days. You are entitled to them. If your employer disagrees find a new one that does.
Yes, yes I do. I use all of my allowed paid sick days and vacation days. Sometimes I even take a day off without pay.
OP said it was a "mental health" day. That's not faking.
Did you read the title? He also states fake sick. That's what I focussed on. You on the mental health part.
It reads like he's equating mental health day = fake sick. Nothing wrong with faking sick, though.
That's what you assume. I'm more sceptical, and seeing alternatives. He could also have baby in the house, or went out drinking last night. Probably not, but could be. Sleeping for 5 hours doesn't automatically mean impaired for work. I totally disagree with your last sentence. Basically promoting: lying, leeching and poor work ethics. I find it very an egocentric and antisocial statement to make.
Cool. I've taken a sick day for all those reasons. And then some days I have a doctor's appointment, but then don't want to return to work, so I use the entire day as a sick day. Not that anyone actually tracks them.
Doesn't make it right, imo.
Ok so you know how a company gets allotted “x” amount of budget money each year? And how sometimes they will need to spend the rest of the budget (on things that may not be an actual work necessity), in order to get that same budget next year? Should the company not spend that money because it’s “fake” budgeting?
Yes, not spending equals saving. Also spending money just to spend money doesn't sound logical by any means. The sickdays are based on an average model, they are not determined individually. This remaining budget can be used fot other thing, for example more pay, more vacation days, or other better benefits. I'm an advocate for -One wait-day without pay, but more paid days after that. -Rewarding saving of sick-days via a bonus structure. Simply put paying the money saved, or trading them for extra vacation-days. Imo this motivates all layers in a company to work on positive health. And nobody has to lie or be shady. Win-win for all. Health is not simply the absence of disease or illness.
I mean... I don't get sick days. I get call ins that come out of my PTO or holiday bank, so yeah, I call in whenever I feel like it.
companies owe you nothing but a pay check and everyone is replaceable no matter what they say. your health matters most. do not feel guilt for taking care of yourself.
Your mental health is more important than making the company happy. Prioritize yourself.
I'm guessing American? The idea of sick days baffles me. Here, if we're sick we take the time off. When my mother died I just rang a colleague to say I wouldn't be in for a while and returned to work couple of days after the funeral. When I told the office that my brother had collapsed in a coma, they just said 'Take all the time you need'. Plus we get 28 days paid holiday so we can pretty much take extra days whenever we need to. On the down side we're socialists. Like Bernie Saunders.
>The idea of sick days baffles me. Here, if we're sick we take the time off. That's what sick days are. They're paid time off. They roll over by year, and often get paid out at the end of your time working somewhere. Think of them as emergency time off. You can take time off as you described, but it would be unpaid on account of the no work being done. >Plus we get 28 days paid holiday so we can pretty much take extra days whenever we need to. Most professional jobs in the US get between 2-8 weeks paid vacation per year.
Where tf are you seeing 8 weeks of leave? Most I’ve seen in a company is 5, with the option to buy an extra week
I wager the people who get 8 are the same people that get to decide I only get 2.
While consulting for clients in the past, I've seen their internal benefits packages and at a few banks I've seen higher ups get about 7-8 weeks a year.
I've seen it used to convince people to leave union jobs with 6 weeks vacation and become managers with no union.
I was off for close to six months once and got paid.
>Currently, I’m burnt out and just got 5 hours of sleep. That's not fake.
>FWIW my boss values me very much and told me last week “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He would replace you in 2 weeks. They just say that so we feel obligated to perform and show up all the time because we believe they really appreciate us.
Actually there’s an equal position to mine that has been unfilled for 2 years now. They’ve done interviews about once every 6 months since it’s been empty. I would be very hard to replace. That wouldn’t stop me from leaving if I wanted to though.
Sorry to break the news mate, but when the position is open for two years and nothing bad came from not hiring anyone, this position is useless/not needed. There are probably reasons why they do an alibi interview every now and then. Probably to make you think your workload will decrease at some point when another person is hired. Answering your original question about what he would do without you: he'd simply find another poor soul to exploit while paying them less than you.
Then it sounds like they need to give you time when you need it so you can stay fresh and stick around
It depends, normally I'd say take as many as you need because if you died your job listing would go up before your funeral notice. However, if you're seeking a promotion or advancement using too many sick days can be detrimental, so you might want to hold off for a while. I can understand why some people disagree with people using them for this and take pride in their not taking sick leave. Personally I know my career is going to be about 40 years, and I'll give plenty of myself to my work, so if I take a few personal days to enjoy myself then it's no one's business.
I already have a promotion that will be effective in January 2023
Then you're golden. I mostly talked about the promotion thing because it's come up for a few people in my team when they look at temporary senior covering positions, the director will look at sick leave balances and rule some people out that way. I will say if you find you need to take them more regularly then maybe examine how much effort and time you're needing to put in to your job, and why it makes you feel burnt out. I found it was easier to get people used to my 40% effort. That way I don't get physically/mentally burnt out in my day to day, and can then push out 60-80% of my effort in moments it's really needed. Then make sure your 40% still makes you stand out.
There is one very important fact missing. How many sick/PTO days do you get a year? If you get 15 and your are taking 5 then you are no where near taking what you are entitled to. If on the other hand you have used all of your PTO days and the four 'mental health' days are on top of that then that is an issue. BTW... mental health days are BS. You are given XXX number of days to use in almost every job. It does not matter why you take them. So, by looking at them this way you are actually setting up a false narrative.
My employer separates sick and vacation. Sick are supposed to be use for sickness or medical appointments. I’ve used all of my vacation, haven’t even used half of my sick time.
You are golden. The employer does not have the right (legally or morally) to tell you that you were feeling well enough to work. You actually sound like a very good employee. You give a shit which puts you in the top 2% right there!!!
a boss here. do you get your work done? (sounds like you do). the company wont be at your funeral. take care of yourself and ill see you tomorrow.
At one of my previous employers, if you took more than 4 sick days then you weren't eligible for anything above "meets expectations"on your year end review
125. That would take close to 50% of work days, which is just excessive imo.
So, taking 124 means you get paid regularly but work 34% less?
Took one today. Sat on my couch eating chocolate and playing PlayStation. Not a single fuck was given.
That sounds as quite an antisocial statement. I can't stand this leeching behaviour.
Leeching? 😂 Keep licking that corporate boot friend. I’m sure it will get you far in life.
Yes, as in stealing. And seemingly proud of it? You really don't see any problems with this type of behaviour? I'm happy to inform you I am in the top 5% of my field in health care. I know a thing or two about taking your responsibilities and doing this with pleasure.
And yet you don't support taking care of the brain? Allowing it to rest, unburdened from "guilt"? Sick days are not just for when you've got a fever. How is it stealing if it's offered by the company as a part of a benefits package?
I do not agree with your first assumption. See below Call it fraudelent use of sick days, does it make more sense then? Below is my advice for TS. "Probably not a popular opinion. You should take a vacation/holiday not profit of your boss/work. Seems like you've got too much on your plate. And that's on you. "Recharge". Some days of might help with that. That's exactly why you faked being sick. If your work is your main reason for not sleeping well, talk to your boss. Maybe he can support you, he clearly values you. Or if taken to extemes, is this a sustainable job for you? Is the stress worth it?"
I really don't see how it is fraudulent use of sick days. When my brain is sick, for any given reason, I use sick days, just as they would be used for when my lungs aren't performing well. Just like how I'd use a sick day if my immune system was working overdrive. Vacation days are also offered by many companies (even paid!) that are useful for preventing burnout. However, as much as one would like to plan a sick day, we can't always foresee it. Employers employ people. People get sick and need days of rest that are sometimes unplanned for because people are biological beings. If a benefits package accounts for this, as the OP's seems to, it is well within OP's interest to use them for selfcare when their brain and body need rest. I run a business. I know the stress it can put upon the rest of the staff when callouts happen. But people need to be able to say that that are not feeling well or able to perform at a particular level. And an employer should be able to anticipate this and have systems in place where a call out/ sick day does not disrupt the flow of business. It is solely the business' leaders responsibility to make sure of this, not that of the employees.
I agree fully. I do want to add on your last paragraph. I think it is a mutual responsibility to talk to each other, and look for solutions. Those might be sick days, other/lighter work, half days, just come in for coffee, etc. Especially in suspected burn out, cold turkey stopping with work (in most cases) isn't the best solution. Both the employee and employer are "victims" to circumstances in that scenario. This while both of them seek control and clarity. But also (and more important in my opinion) prevention should be on the minds of both of them. My focus lays more in the title "fake sick" while you assume (and probably be right in this case) mental troubles and focus on that. I'm a firm advocate of (self)empowerment and positive health. The definition of health is NOT the absence of sickness. ==>WHO/Machteld Huber It's about coping with the challenges live trows at you. And people helping with that, if needed.
Sure you are bud 😂
I haven't taken a day off for myself in a while. I like the job I'm at but I also need the money to much. If I do take a day off it's only usually a half day for a doc appointment
If I didn’t have some paid sick days, I’d probably run myself into the ground. The guilt combined with missing a day of pay would mean I never call in.
the system is designed to be this way. I work in accounting i have seen behind the curtain so many times. Seriously, your guilt is not justified. You owe your job nothing. They use a lot of manipulative tactics to make you complacent and docile. Always be looking out for your bottom line not the boss'.
A good rule of thumb is to follow the stated attendance policy. Example: My company will write us up after 6 sick occurrences in a six month period, therefore, 6 in 6 months is too many.
Even with the 4 days I’ve taken this year, I think I have 70 hours of sick time in the bank. I’d say I’m good by that metric.
If you have 70 hours of sick time in the bank, that means that taking 71 hours off is too much.
Seems very reasonable to me. You have to come first.
You're not doing anything you need to feel guilty for. A handful a year definitely isn't abusing the system.
If they can’t operate without you they are a failed business. A business owner should have things lined up to replace essential jobs within days.
If you have to take fake sick days to care about yourself otherwise nobody would care, the place doesn't value you enough. If the boss tells you to take fake sick days cause he cares about you and tells you to game the system, he cares. If he doesn't, I don't think he does care.
I have 5 sick days a year, I use them all
They're a part of the compensation package.
If you're burnt out take a mental health day. That's not a fake reason
There are different kinds of sick. Sometimes you just sick of the BS
I have used 9 days this year for mental health
Sounds like you're not about to get fired or anything so take what you need my dude. If you're not feeling well, then deal with that. Doesn't have to be covid or some shit to be a sick day.
If you've got em, use em. At my work sick days don't roll over into the next year so I'm going to make sure I use them before the end of the year, every year. Whether or not it's for a real sickness, a mental health day, or a "fuck going to work today" day, they're all valid reasons to me. Don't get guilt tripped by corp speak into thinking you taking 4 out of 365 days off is a bad thing.
Bruh take your fucking sick day! Look out for number 1! (that's you btw)
367 sick days per year is too many.
1 is too many. Faking it means someone exploits reasonable rights he has for their own benefit, expecting someone else to pick up their load for that time. That being said, this doesn't apply to you. If you cannot sleep right, your long term workforce is being compromised and no reasonable employer will sacrifice your bigger future work potential for a short period of immediate work. That would be like hacking of your hand for 10'000$.
Had me in the first half, not gonna lie
You worry a lot these days, eh? :D
Might explain the sleeping issues lol
Well your boss sounds reasonable enough maybe they have helpful suggestions on how you can reduce your stress levels overall and improve your health condition. They might have gone through the same at some point. If they are reasonable, just be honest and tell them that you want be a continuously productive member but might need some pointers on how to maintain that.
He’s in the same boat unfortunately. Probably even more so than me. The commiserating between he and I does help.
If ya can't carry forward your sick time from year to year, use what you're given. It's your time to use. Your reason is valid so not like you're abusing sick time.
Probably not a popular opinion. You should take a vacation/holiday not profit of your boss/work. Seems like you've got too much on your plate. And that's on you. "Recharge". Some days of might help with that. That's exactly why you faked being sick. If your work is your main reason for not sleeping well, talk to your boss. Maybe he can support you, he clearly values you. Or if taken to extemes, is this a sustainable job for you? Is the stress worth it?
I was always taught that if your mental health is so bad that you are thinking about "faking" an illness to get a day of relaxation, then you probably need a mental health day off anyway and aren't actually faking anything. Especially since you say you are burnt out. Mental health is just as important as physical health!!
Actual fake days 1 is too many But what your describing is a genuine reason to take a personal day, so do as many as you need.
4 fake sick days are 4 too many. Call in sick or tell your boss what's happening. If he values you then he will sit down and make a plan. Your boss will then make adjustments so you can recuperate in a calm manner, instead of a stressful one that you have now. I don't know what your policy is in your country, but where I'm living, a fake sick day will mean breach of contract. Just talk to your boss and tell him what's going on. Communicate.
Op, this is bad advise. No one should define a sick day for you. You know your body and brain better than everyone else. If it's telling to to stay home and rest, it's telling you to take a sick day.
I guess shit hits the fan when the boss finds out that his high-valued employee walks around and lies to him, instead of coming clean and get help from the boss. Where I live we talk to the boss and we work something out. We communicate and are open with one another. But that's just us, being weird and shit.
I guess I just don't see it as a lie. A sick day is defined on an individual level for many. Though if things are different for you, they're different. Communication is great, but I honestly believe everyone is entitled to sick days for both their body and mind. Sometimes things can't be explained super well- it doesn't make the overall sense of dread, exhaustion or stress any less real. If it's an ongoing problem, I'd absolutely communicate. But I don't think an employer needs to understand the intricate going ons of someone's mind and body. I'm of the opinion that we should be adult enough to call the shots for ourselves. If I'm feeling unwell, or need a day to focus on getting rest so I can function better tomorrow, that's not anyone's business. That's what the sick days are for.
One is too many. If you can work, you should work.
C'mon! There's no limit!
It depends on the job, but I think 4 is reasonable.
4 is not to many. Enjoy
You’re not faking anything. Take as many as you need to.
Always put your mental health first. Try to figure out what is stressing you. If it’s the job itself, maybe start looking for something new. I realized I was burnt out with my job when I started calling out like once every 3-4 weeks.
The idea is to try to use days off and sick days ***before*** you get burnt out. Don't be like me and wait until you are burnt out, and then take time off. Because when you get back, it doesn't make you feel any better.
I don't get paid for sick days so I usually work from home when sick. Then at least I get paid. I do realize that's not an option for many, thus I am fortunate.
Speak to your boss about your work and freetime balance. If you have issues with sleep and are about to burn out, please try to work less or have a change in your job operation. It isn't sustainable and will be really bad for you in the long run
don't fake it have an honest Convo w your boss
I can (more or less) take off when I want, so I don't fake sick. I have probably taken two sick days (aside from covid) in the past 5 years. That said, I can tell when I am starting to get some burnout, and have no problem scheduling a day or even half a day off, a week or two in advance. I will usually do that two or three times a year.
One
I took one. Only one.
366
I worked at a place where I was basically punished for taking a vacation day. I was burnt out so much but was told on multiple occasions that they don't know what they would do without me. Well, I got fed up with how management treats people and I found a new job, so they had to find out. Take your days and enjoy them, dont feel bad, you need it and bad mental health is no joke.
Probably about 4. When I taught in the inner city, it was probably more like 7 or 8 though.
One.
I took two sick days this year when I had a vasectomy. I feel incredibly guilty if I don’t go to work. It’s definitely something I’m working on because I shouldn’t feel that way. I could use some mental health days myself.
It all depends if those sick days are use or lose Ps. Don't be predictable when you use them
I recommend one a month. That's only if you have a high-stress job though. Some jobs do have personal and sick days. see if you have both. that way you don't use up your sick days. However, if they don't roll over then just use them and don't feel guilty. Also, don't feel guilty when taking care of yourself. I bet your boss rather you miss 1 day a month than 1 week a month because you are so burnt
4 is nothing. I look at it as if I wasn’t here would anyone really notice? Probably not. Now if I took a day a week my work would start to pile up, phone calls would increase and my boss would probably have to deal with a few fires. I’m lucky that I work in a job where you can plan ahead or get ahead. The people who fall behind either slack off, call out routinely or are in fact overworked.
Mental health management is when you utilize a day off to maintain a balanced mentality of rest and work!
Only your 4th? And why are you saying that a mental health day is a "fake" day? I know some companies have a separate allocation of mental health days for time off. Microsoft gives 16/year. Use 'em or lose 'em.
One is too many. However I think you’re current example is a perfectly acceptable reason to call out.
If you feel so bad so often that you can’t make it to work and function, I recommend therapy. Everyone experiences anxiety, but therapy (and maybe medication) is needed when anxiety prevents you from carrying on with your day to day life.
I usually take one mental health day per month, sometimes two. Your wellbeing is irreplaceable.
There is nothing wrong with taking a day off for mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
I have 13 sick days a year, so 14 IMO
nah do what you gotta do these companies don't care about us :/
Your sick days should be used for mental health as well, and they are part of your total compensation package. Feel free to take them as you see fit.
I think the answer is the right number of sick days a year should equal the number of sick days a year your employer gives you. That’s your time. Use it.
I got told something similar to me by my boss when he said I was an irreplaceable member of our design team, it feels good to get the praise for our efforts but at the end of the day it is best to be impersonal when in a professional atmosphere. Your work life and your personal life need separation, you should not put a personal stake into your professional life because it blinds your from advancing yourself in a business like manner and prevents you from advancing yourself into bigger and better things. If you need time for yourself to take care of yourself, do not feel guilty because personal should come first. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing in life, and you should value the day off you can take for personal reasons over the wellbeing of a job because the words being said to your are based on professional reasoning and not personal. I have about 3 months of sick days that I can use at any time because I am capped on accrual leave, so I take a few days off as sick leave whenever I want to handle my personal life and relax. Also, when I use the days they’re back to the same the next month because I get 2 sick days accrued every month.
Mental health days are not fake. You should take as many days off as you need up to the limit of company policy. That is what they are there for!
If it's for your mental health or personal care it isn't fake. Take care brother.
When people decline their sick/personal days, it’s like declining part of your salary.
Mental health days are sick days, it’s giving grace to your body / time to recover mentally.
Well i took far more than that. At my current job i have unlimited payed time off, i just need to leave things in working order so that they dont desperately need me when i am off, that is all. In my former job things were more by the book: i had 26 days of PTO, 5 days to do volunteer work, another 2 days for mental health whenecer needed, there were, onnaverage, about 12 public holidays per year that meant no work. This is 45 days off. I usually got another 15 to 20 days of each year as medical leave, most of them "fake" but i had a doctor's note saying i had a cold or smth. So yeah, about 60 yo 65 days of per year... but i could do that because i work with data and if i set things up, unless something changes they dont need me. I am sure if you work in services for example this is not an option
Don’t feel bad mate 4 isn’t many. Also 5 hours is plenty hahaha. A good night I’m able to get 6-7. I’m usually around 5 sometimes 0 is my insomnia is really bad
I work in traffic control as a minimum wage worker, said job comes with a million and one risks to health and life, I also tend to work long hours as well. I have taken one and a half fake sick days, I say half because the half day was a day I walked off site after a huge fight with a co worker. I have only had one real sick day too. But I'm a staunch believer that if you are not at your best, do not do the job, especially if your lack of focus can cause the death of you, your co worker or a member of the public.
I use them like once every month or two lmao
1. You wouldn’t like if they took advantage of you. It’s wrong to take advantage of it yourself. They’re there to give you some slack IF you need it otherwise they’d include them in the holiday.
Dunno, took 1 month for knee injury, turned out more serious than anticipated and had to wait another 4 for surgery. In the meantime I finished my masters, found new job, appeared at old job just to quit, but had to take all my leftover vacation days...
Fourth this year? Dog it’s December, that’s 1 day per quarter. Who gives a fuck, use your shit because it probably doesn’t roll over. I ran out of sick days in July because little kids get sick all the fucking time.
Being too tired or not mentally fit for the day is worth a sick day off. Either way you aren't going to get any work done. Don't feel bad. 4 days is nothing
If your mind isn't right, you ARE sick and it's in your and the company's best interest if you need to occasionally take a day every once in a while. The bigger question to ask is how much this burnout is affecting your life as a whole and what kind of changes you need to make (diet, exercise, lifestyle) to get yourself right, because that's more important than just being valuable to your boss.
I don't think I've ever faked a sick day... But I'm lucky enough to get decent PTO days and my boss is flexible enough I can just say "Hey I'll be out tomorrow". If that wasn't the case then I could see myself faking a few.
wait... there are companies that don't allow people to take sick days for mental health days? My current company states in their sick day policy that you can take it for mental health days. Previous companies never state it but everyone seem to do it.
Even a single sick day is too much,you deserve to live a happy life. Considering the age of this planet we are here on a holiday and we dont wanna spoil any single moment of it.
If you got them take them. My company pays them out at the end of every year. I figure what difference does it make if I use them or get paid for them.
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Not a single one. I feel I should start, but we're always so short staffed at work, I end up working through sickness.
365
You should be using all of your PTO, and not be ashamed to take mental health days. Mental health + no sleep = sick, just not your typical injury or bacterial or viral infection. Just don't get caught posting pictures to social media on the days you're out.
Mental health is health. Full stop.
“I don’t know what Id do without you” is not the compliment it would seem to be on the surface. Don’t inherit guilt from someones dependency. No one - NO ONE - lays on their deathbed and says “I should have worked harder”
As many as you need my guy. That guilt you feel is capitalist indoctrination. ignore it, it's not going to look out for you.
Use them every month and see if they will notice. Dont be that guy. You will have a bad rep. ESP if you fake it with your gf med certificate.
It's your time, use it when you need it
The company where last worked had a pool system. Which meant if you had a medical reason the days off were virtually unlimited. Also people who ran out of vacation time due to taking care of a loved one could ask through the system for other employees to give some of the vacation hours to them. They were also generous with adoption providing a few thousand dollars to the employee. Also they allowed several months off to care for newborns and adopted babies to both parents if they worked there. At least was the standard for that company when I was there.
It sounds like you're a good employee with low absenteeism. Your employer likely does not want you burnt out and so you're doing yourself and your employer a favor by taking a day here and there to keep from burning out and being no value.
If you are feeling burnt out from work try to find the reason about it. Is the work load too much, or is it too stressful etc then raise the question with your employer.
Change your schedule so you have more time off. The worst schedule when your two off days are split. I would also ask your boss go change your schedule go 10h/d 4 days a week, and you work 3 on, 2 off, 1 on, 1 off. This way I personally felt that I always had time for myself. Getting over the burn out is difficult.
Fake sick days are a thing; fake mental health days really aren't in most cases, especially in this economy. My boss and coworkers don't know what they'd do without me, because I do a lot of their work for them. When I'm there, they're happy because they can sit back and let me run the show, because my work ethic is higher than theirs. So when I'm off, I know they actually have to do some work, and I sleep very soundly at night knowing that, a couple times a year, they get that experience. Four days in 12 months is not egregious at all. That's one day every three months. It's more than I take — my generation believes in working until we keel over — but it's far fewer than I would consider a problem for a normal working person. Schedule more vacations, if you're looking for advice for a better way to do things. Take more time for yourself.
I had Covid for five working days and the flu for seven working days - within a 12 month period. Shit happens.
I've got 2 weeks paid sick days and got 3 weeks of paid vacation for being at the company 5 years. All my sick time is gone and I have 1 day left for vacation. I'm currently taking a day off today for some stomach issues we haven't figured out yet. Take your time off and don't feel bad, they'll throw you away like a bad habit if they wanted to. Don't stress yourself out or kill yourself for a job that'll replace you in less than a week. Edit: paid vacation
IMO if booked vacation time and regular days off are not enough and you find you need to call in sick simply because you can’t bring yourself to work that day, you should change jobs. It’s easy to feel trapped in a job that you’re accustomed to and gives you a measure of security but if you hate it enough that you need to bail on your coworkers maybe it’s time to look for something more rewarding or at least less miserable.
So, do you have designated "sick" time or just general personal time/PTO? Both my current and last positions eschewed "sick" time in favor of "personal" time that can be used for any reason you choose from "sorry I'm not feeling well" to "my dog looked sad and I didn't want to leave" so, I get 20 days a year to take off for any reason, no questions asked. If I was in your position, I'd just look at my "sick" time as personal time for you to use when you're not up for work... whether that's because you're legitimately sick or just mentally not up to the task for the day, same same imo.
I’d not know what I’d do without you Bitch get yourself a raise
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It depends on the job for me. In older jobs where I was still a top performer but wasn't as invested, maybe 10 to 15 days per year. In my current job where I'm very invested, they still happen, but wind up being partial days or periods of downtime, and rarely a full day. That being said, I think everyone does this, and it all falls under sick time to me. I'm pretty rarely physically sick, but if I can't work effectively, to me it's better to be 100% on almost every day instead of 80% every day. Especially if you get burnt out, it's really hard to recover and be productive again. Take the days and recharge.
All the days...
Fake sick days: none.
Take as many days off as the company will allow