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[RoJoHen]

I don't know how often you guys get sick enough that you need to skip work, but some people seem to make a habit of it.

I am a manager at a local brewpub, and one thing I have discovered recently is that my employees don't call in sick for work. They send me texts and Facebook messages!

Instead of calling the store and talking to the manager on duty, they message me directly and expect me to do something about it. Our business is open from 11am-3am every single day. That's 105 hours that we are open in a given week...and I work 40 of them. Most of the time when they message me, I'm not even at work! Drives me crazy.

Today a girl texted me while I was home. "I'm sick at home and vomiting. I've texted several people to cover my shift, but no one is responding. What should I do?"

My immediate response: "Call the store."

I love texting as form of communication. It's nice and easy, especially if what you're saying doesn't require an immediate response. But have people really gotten so used to it that it doesn't even occur to them to call their job?

 

[Kelthaz]

I don't see the problem. Emailing or texting is far more convenient than calling someone. Especially when you're sick.

Although contacting you when you're not even at work is pretty weird. They should be contacting the person who is actually, you know, on duty.

 

[RoJoHen]

Although contacting you when you're not even at work is pretty weird. They should be contacting the person who is actually, you know, on duty.

That is my point. Assuming I'm the one responsible for dealing with their problems is unfair. Since I don't expect them to memorize every manager's schedule, it just makes more sense to call the store directly and talk to whoever happens to be in charge that day.

I admit there are some jobs where an email might work fine, but mine is not one of those jobs. If someone calls in sick, we have to scramble to find someone to cover their shift. We staff according to how busy we are, so it screws everyone over when someone doesn't show up.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't see the problem. Emailing or texting is far more convenient than calling someone. Especially when you're sick.

I see at least one problem with that: you don't know if your message was received. At least when you call in, you talk to someone and you know that they heard you. But if you FB or twitter it in, you have no idea if anyone read it.

Besides, I hate to sound harsh, but if you make it too easy to "call in" sick, too many employees will take advantage of it. Using a telephone isn't a huge burden. Even if you really are sick and not just faking it.

 

[auntiehill]

But...but...if you don't it by phone, you don't even get to do your "sick voice." If you can just email it in, you don't even get to do your performance!

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

But...but...if you don't it by phone, you don't even get to do your "sick voice." If you can just email it in, you don't even get to do your performance!

You could send in a selfie of yourself in bed with a scarf and a thermometer in the mouth.

Love your new avatar, btw.

 

[Candlelight]

I normally just email as I work in IT and I know my emails get received by my boss.

Stuff like the kids being sick I ring to alert their teachers, etc.

 

[auntiehill]

But...but...if you don't it by phone, you don't even get to do your "sick voice." If you can just email it in, you don't even get to do your performance!

You could send in a selfie of yourself in bed with a scarf and a thermometer in the mouth.

Love your new avatar, btw.

^Thanks. Three different posters worked on it for me last year.

Emailing it is just too easy. Calling in sick should be required; it's much easier to tell if people are lying by listening to their voice.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Larger companies do have procedures for calling in that involve, you know, actually calling in.

Where I work, you'd get fired for doing it any other way.

 

[Finn]

I don't see the problem. Emailing or texting is far more convenient than calling someone. Especially when you're sick.

I see at least one problem with that: you don't know if your message was received. At least when you call in, you talk to someone and you know that they heard you. But if you FB or twitter it in, you have no idea if anyone read it.

Besides, I hate to sound harsh, but if you make it too easy to "call in" sick, too many employees will take advantage of it. Using a telephone isn't a huge burden. Even if you really are sick and not just faking it.

Some email systems will allow employees see if their messages within the organization have been read.

But I'd imagine they don't do it at RoJoHen's Brewery.

 

[Robert D. Robot]

I know a few people who use texting when they are in a situation where they want to duck a possibly uncomfortable or difficult conversation. 'Texting in sick' would probably seem to be a perfect solution for some individuals.

Businesses like stores and restaurants (and professionals like dentists and doctors) have business phone numbers and employ people whose job it is answer those business phones. I would think that the best way to connect with a manager (or decision-maker currently on duty at that business) concerning an immediate or impending issue should call so that they connect immediately with someone who can handle the situation.

People do get sick and need to take time off, but I know of certain individuals who would use this texting strategy to make it easier to duck their responsibilities. NOTE: I am saying SOME individuals, not all!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I email my boss when I'm sick, but then that's an accepted procedure. Calls or emails--either is fine.

As long as there's an established procedure for calling in sick, people should follow it. If you don't have such a procedure, maybe it's time to make one.

 

[Pondwater]

Calling in sick is a luxury for me. We have the old fashioned procedure of calling in to a manager.

 

[RoJoHen]

As long as there's an established procedure for calling in sick, people should follow it. If you don't have such a procedure, maybe it's time to make one.

Oh, we do, and we bring it up all the time. People just choose to ignore it.

 

[SPCTRE]

Then you should start to actually enforce it.

 

[FPAlpha]

As long as there's an established procedure for calling in sick, people should follow it. If you don't have such a procedure, maybe it's time to make one.

Oh, we do, and we bring it up all the time. People just choose to ignore it.

Well, there is your problem.

What good is a rule if it isn't enforced? At my workplace it's heavily enforced. You are late 30 minutes or so and your superior will call you (and if that happens you better have a good excuse that you didn't call yourself).

You call in sick you better go to the doctor to get the official note (or hand it in later if you really can't leave your place) but it has to be with HR 3 days later or you will be counted as absent without reason which will get you in trouble. German work law dictates that by the 4th sick day you have to have the note though the employer can demand the note from the first sick day.

Years ago my tonsils were heavily infected, i couldn't speak well and had great pains even swallowing water so i wrote an email and got into trouble because i didn't pick up the phone (yeah.. some superiors can be assholes).

So if your employees ignore the rules then it's your fault as the boss, simple as that.

 

[RoJoHen]

I guess, but how do you even enforce such a thing? I'm not worried about them calling in or their reasons for doing so. It's just annoying the way they do it sometimes.

Turns out the girl who messaged me yesterday is having an emergency hysterectomy. What am I supposed to do, write her up because she didn't call in the correct way?

 

[Captain Shaw]

As long as there's an established procedure for calling in sick, people should follow it. If you don't have such a procedure, maybe it's time to make one.

Oh, we do, and we bring it up all the time. People just choose to ignore it.

Well, there is your problem.

What good is a rule if it isn't enforced? At my workplace it's heavily enforced. You are late 30 minutes or so and your superior will call you (and if that happens you better have a good excuse that you didn't call yourself).

You call in sick you better go to the doctor to get the official note (or hand it in later if you really can't leave your place) but it has to be with HR 3 days later or you will be counted as absent without reason which will get you in trouble. German work law dictates that by the 4th sick day you have to have the note though the employer can demand the note from the first sick day.

Years ago my tonsils were heavily infected, i couldn't speak well and had great pains even swallowing water so i wrote an email and got into trouble because i didn't pick up the phone (yeah.. some superiors can be assholes).

So if your employees ignore the rules then it's your fault as the boss, simple as that.

Do you have to go the doctor even if it's just a sick bug?
That's seems like a waste of the doctor's time.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I guess, but how do you even enforce such a thing? I'm not worried about them calling in or their reasons for doing so. It's just annoying the way they do it sometimes.

Turns out the girl who messaged me yesterday is having an emergency hysterectomy. What am I supposed to do, write her up because she didn't call in the correct way?

This isn't difficult.

"I'm sick and I could have called but chose to send a Facebook message instead." -- This is not an emergency that would call for some kind of extenuating circumstances exception. This is just laziness/cowardice.

"I didn't call in because I had emergency surgery." -- Duh, this one gets a pass because the person was likely incapable of calling in at the time. As long as they (or someone close to them) calls in at some point and explains the situation, it should be fine.

The general rule would be that you call in when you can't make it, with as much notice as possible, and that other communication methods are not acceptable. If you don't call in and miss your shift, you'd better have a good reason (like being physically incapable of doing so due to a major emergency.)

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Today a girl texted me while I was home. "I'm sick at home and vomiting. I've texted several people to cover my shift, but no one is responding. What should I do?"

My immediate response: "Call the store."

Good start. Maybe add something like, "Emails/texts are not acceptable." Then respond that way to every employee who texts/emails in, every time. They should all get the point pretty quickly.