Call-offs

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Had this happen with me recently.

My shift began at 9am, and I work just a mile from home. It doesn't take me too long to go from laying horizontal to driving away.

I wake up at about 3:30 am to some sickness that would have been bearable if I had to go to work right then. No problem, get some medicine in me and go back to sleep.

8am: I wake up feeling worse than what I did at 3:30. I'm in no shape to work. I work in an hour. I feel worse as the minutes tick.

Of course, popular call-off etiquette says that you must give a good amount of notice before calling off. It also suggests that you don't show up if you are going to be an embarrassing nuisance to others and customers.

Do what's best for the company, or do what's best for me? So I called off. Was told that I should've provided more advance notice. I eventually did not work.

One doesn't "plan" to get sick.

What should have I done? Show up anyway? Is there anything else?

As your community and as a co-worker or potential customer, thank you for calling off --- to take care of yourself and not expose others - if contagious.

Does your workplace have a written policy as to how many hours notice are required? (e.g. to find a replacement shift worker) Do they prefer a person calls off on time even if they have minor indications?

Like you were thinking, it's not often that minor symptoms progress in severity - how am I to know which ones will? I'd be out a lot if I had to call out "just in case".

Sorry your workplace is unsupportive. From what I read online if there's a written policy it's legal, but I still think it's silly for a responsible employee.

My boss doesn't want anyone to come in sick. We normally call in just before we would normally show up for work. Policy where I work is up to the discretion of the manager.

Thank God I work with a boss that as much as I can't stand has never once asked for a sick note or explanation (I work in a unionized environment and it's managers discretion). I did however have a sports organization blacklist me because I cancelled three hours before a game and ruined it. I explained that my wife was in a potential life or death situation, had to go to the ER immediately and even offered to make it up but they refused to take my calls and treated me like I had leprosy. I even tried to find a replacement at the Hospital while the Doctor was treating my wife. What the hockey puck else was I supposed to do?

I also had a situation where I was scheduled to be the leader at a weekend work event (prior job) and called in that morning because I was too sick to even get out of bed. I got the "you are letting everyone down" guilt trip from my supervisor as if I wasn't painfully aware of it already. I really needed the overtime money too so did they think I was faking?