Have you ever fallen sick or had an emergency and wondered if it was enough reason to call off work? Well, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, hustle culture has led many of us to believe we should just \u201cpush through\u201d illnesses and personal problems. Recent research shows that many employees feel guilty for taking sick days, especially if they work from home.<\/p>
In fact, the idea that showing up is more important than taking care of yourself is so common that it has a name: presenteeism. Though this behaviour may come from a desire to succeed professionally, it can only lead to burnout in the long term.<\/p>
The truth is that there are plenty of valid reasons to miss work. As long as you\u2019re not taking advantage of company policies, calling out of work should be reframed as a form of self-care. When you take the time you need to rest, you can be more effective, productive, and focused later.<\/p>
So what is a good reason to call out of work? Some might think physical pain or a family emergency is the only valid excuse to take a day off of work. But in reality, there are plenty of reasons that you might call off work. From a bad cold to needing a mental health day, it\u2019s okay to take the time you need to rest.<\/p>
If you\u2019re feeling under the weather, don\u2019t be a hero. Being sick is a perfectly valid excuse to call off work.<\/p>
When you\u2019re ill, you can\u2019t perform at your best. Your productivity wanes, and you could bring your entire team down. If you work in an environment where everyone needs to be on their A-game, coming into work sick will do no one any good.<\/p>
On top of all that, there\u2019s the risk of spreading the illness to your coworkers. No manager wants to deal with a sweeping sickness that takes out the entire team. It\u2019s best to stay home, rest, and come back refreshed.<\/p>
Some employers will require a doctor\u2019s note or proof of illness for this to be considered a legit reason to call off work. In that case, don\u2019t be afraid to go to your general practitioner or a local health clinic. Not only will you get the proof you need, but you\u2019ll likely get some treatment to speed up your recovery.<\/p>
Maybe you\u2019re feeling fine, but you have a sick child at home and need to take care of them. You might have to pick up a prescription, drive them to urgent care, or make sure their fever doesn\u2019t spike. <\/p>
Whatever support your family member needs, it will be hard to juggle that on top of your work responsibilities (even if you\u00a0work from home). Yes, you could try, but more than likely your attention will be on other things. If you can, it\u2019s best to step away from your desk for the day and take of your family.<\/p>
Family emergencies refer to any unexpected situation that affects the health or safety of your family. The definition is pretty broad here, which is fine. Things happen all the time, and family comes first.<\/p>
You might have to take off work because your child or spouse experienced a sudden illness. Or, it could be your grandmother who suddenly needs help handling a heavy delivery because she\u2019s incapable of doing so herself. Whatever the case, family emergencies are valid excuses to miss work.<\/p>
In some cases, you may even qualify for up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Keep your employer informed and updated as things evolve.<\/p>
Here are some examples of family emergencies that could cause you to miss work: <\/p>
If someone you love passes away, the last thing you want to think about is work. On top of taking time to process your grief, you may need to deal with logistical and financial arrangements such as the funeral.<\/p>
Some companies have a formal bereavement leave policy to cover death in the family, so be sure to check your employee handbook for guidelines. If not, you can talk to human resources or your manager directly about what happened and why you need time off.<\/p>
If you have a child, you know how challenging being a working parent is. Many unexpected situations arise, and you have no choice but to adapt quickly. While your childcare arrangements might cover things most of the time, you might suddenly encounter problems when you cannot utilize your usual arrangements.<\/p>
Once again, things happen! Babysitters can get sick, and daycare centers can experience problems that cause them to close down temporarily. Even if you have school-aged kids, you might have to take off to watch your child as they stay home.<\/p>
You can\u2019t leave your child home alone. While some managers might be more understanding about this reason than others, it\u2019s valid. Your kids\u2019 safety should always be a top priority.<\/p>
Food poisoning wrecks your body and often, keeps you up all night. If you eat something bad and get sick afterwards, it\u2019s completely normal to call out of work. You may need to catch up on sleep or simply take some extra time to recover.\u00a0<\/p>
Usually, you can give your employer advance notice if you need to take the day off for a medical appointment. But in some rare cases, you may need to call out at the last minute. <\/p>
For example, say you\u2019re waiting to see a specialist that has limited availability. If they call you in the morning to say that someone cancelled their appointment, you may want to jump at the chance to take that opening. If you don\u2019t, it could be months before you see this doctor. It\u2019s reasonable to miss work for the appointment. Make sure you communicate clearly with your manager to gain support and the time you need to focus on your health and well-being.\u00a0<\/p>
Sometimes, you just have too much on your plate. Maybe you\u2019re moving to a new apartment or juggling home renovations on top of your work schedule. Or maybe you\u2019ve hit a bout of challenges and need to take a\u00a0mental health day. Whatever you\u2019re dealing with, a personal day could be what you need to stay sane, run errands, and catch up on life.\u00a0<\/p>
The one thing you shouldn\u2019t use a personal day for is your\u00a0job search. This is dishonest and could put your coworkers in a tough position if you call out at the last minute for no good reason. Use traditional\u00a0paid time off\u00a0for your interviews and plan ahead as much as you can.\u00a0<\/p>
When it comes to bulletproof excuses to get out of work, this might be at the top of the list. If you get called for jury duty, you have no choice but to fulfil your civic duty. Employers must give you time off. Otherwise, they could end up breaking the law.<\/p>
You can get called for jury duty at any time. It tends to come unexpectedly and can last for several days or weeks, depending on the case and whether you\u2019re selected as a juror. If you\u2019ve never been to jury duty, it\u2019s not something many people enjoy.<\/p>
Many people dread it and would actually rather go to work. But if you get that notice, you can\u2019t ignore it.<\/p>
Whether it\u2019s a flat tire or a fender bender, car trouble can really ruin your day. Sometimes you can wait to address these issues until the weekend, but most likely, you\u2019ll need to get that tire changed or submit insurance claims sooner rather than later. <\/p>
If you have a less serious car problem, you can just call out of work for a few hours. But if you get into an accident on the freeway, you could be held up for much longer. Whatever the trouble, just be sure to inform your manager as soon as you can.\u00a0<\/p>
If you\u2019re having trouble with your internet connection, remote work can feel just about impossible. But before you call out, see if you can get online using your cell phone\u2019s hotspot or by going to a local cafe that has free WiFi. <\/p>
If your WiFi problems are being caused by severe weather conditions, though, you may not want to leave your house to access the internet. If that\u2019s the case, just take the day off and try to get online after the weather passes through. <\/p>
Do you have a special occasion coming up? As long as you provide plenty of advance notice, most employers won\u2019t mind that you miss a little work. Taking some time off doesn\u2019t always have to follow illness or disaster.<\/p>
Special occasions don\u2019t come often, so most managers consider this a perfectly acceptable reason to call off work. As always, be honest and upfront.<\/p>
What constitutes a special occasion? Realistically, it\u2019s anything that doesn\u2019t occur in your everyday life. Maybe you have a class reunion, your child is doing a music performance, or you have a big family event. Each of those examples and more are good excuses for missing some work.<\/p>
If you\u2019re in school, your education is likely your top long-term priority. Whether you\u2019re actively paying tuition or not, it costs money to go to school. Skipping it to work would be a waste, and most employers fully understand that.<\/p>
Plus, failing to go to class could cause your grades to suffer.<\/p>
There\u2019s a good chance that you\u2019re going to school to further your career. Whether you stay at the company you\u2019re at now or transition to an entirely different industry, your priority should be to complete your education.<\/p>
What makes your time at school a legitimate excuse for missing work is that it should be communicated to your employer ahead of time. Let them know you plan on attending classes, and help them find a schedule that works for both of you.<\/p>
Here\u2019s another good reason to call off work that many people experience. Your furry friend is another family member, and illness is a big deal. Pets can\u2019t take care of themselves. While mild sickness usually isn\u2019t a huge deal, it can snowball into something worse unless you seek veterinary care.<\/p>
Going to the vet can be an all-day endeavour. Not only that, but you must be there to care for your animal, clean up accidents, and provide treatment.\u00a0<\/p>
This isn\u2019t an excuse to get out of work that you should use often. But if your pet is seriously ill and needs your care, you shouldn\u2019t feel bad about taking time off (even if it\u2019s at the last minute).<\/p>
Your pet going missing is just as much of a reasonable reason to call off work as caring for them when they\u2019re ill. Again, it all comes down to the importance of your pet to you and your family. You love them immensely, so there\u2019s no reason to hesitate to take time off work to find them when they go missing.<\/p>
Whether they run away or accidentally wander outside, locating them can take an entire day. Don\u2019t feel bad about wanting to focus your attention and energy on searching for your beloved pet rather than hopping on a conference call while they continue to wander away from your home.<\/p>
Most companies provide days off for nationally recognized holidays. But if you live in a country where many cultures are present, there are other religious holidays and events that millions of people take time off to enjoy.<\/p>
Don\u2019t be afraid to use this as a reason for calling off work. Just because no one else in your company is doing so doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not valid, and most managers are more than understanding. This is also something that you can easily notify your employer about ahead of time, since holidays are predictable events.<\/p>
If your employer isn\u2019t understanding, that could open up doors to legal issues due to the challenge of your religious freedom. Companies must respect your personal and spiritual needs. That\u2019s why this reason for missing work is rarely contested.<\/p>
Like school, your military obligations are more important than your job.<\/p>
In most cases, you have no choice when it comes to your military obligations. For example, people in the National Guard have to do monthly drill weekends and a two-week training period every year. These obligations aren\u2019t something you should skip.<\/p>
There are even laws covering those work absences, making it a bulletproof excuse for getting out of work. Most managers usually won\u2019t fight you on this, but it\u2019s still professional to provide plenty of notice if you can.<\/p>
What would you do if you had a sudden pipe burst in your basement? Will you address the issue or let thousands of dollars of damage occur? Most people (including your managers )will choose the former!<\/p>
Home emergencies can come out of nowhere, leaving you with few options. These problems require immediate attention, and you can\u2019t address them at work. If it\u2019s a repair issue, you must be there to allow experts in and assess the damage.<\/p>
But it doesn\u2019t have to be that catastrophic either. Last-minute important deliveries that require a signature can be a valid excuse for calling off work as well. <\/p>
Remember that you\u2019ll likely be asked why this issue is occurring and why you didn\u2019t have advanced notice. This is where it\u2019s helpful to have a good relationship with your employer. If you\u2019re an honest and hard worker, you\u2019re less likely to get pushback.<\/p>
This excuse for calling off work is similar to that of a family emergency. However, it might not occur suddenly, and you may have plenty of advance notice. <\/p>
No matter what the situation is, needing to care for someone in your family is an excellent reason to miss work. You may be the only one available who can care for your loved one. It could be an unexpected illness, or you could have to provide more extensive care after surgery.<\/p>
If there is no one else to turn to, you have no choice but to take the mantle of caregiver. As always, be professional and give your employer as much of a heads-up as possible.<\/p>
Moving likely isn\u2019t something that you do regularly, but it\u2019s a monumental task everyone has to go through at some point. Ideally, you\u2019d schedule moving duties outside of work hours. But once again, not everyone has that luxury.<\/p>
Emergencies can also force you to move out suddenly. For example, you or a close family member might be dealing with eviction. There\u2019s also the issue of natural disasters, fires, and more. Those are more common than you think.<\/p>
Explain your situation and why you must miss work. We\u2019ve all been there.<\/p>
If you need to contact your employer to call out of work, you might find it helpful to use the follow these tips:<\/p>
When calling out of work, it\u2019s important to contact your employer in the way they are most likely to quickly receive it. For instance, if you work in a restaurant where managers don\u2019t have quick access to email, a phone call is probably best. However, if you work in an office and your boss is away for the week, it might be more effective to email or text. <\/p>
Most importantly, if your company has a specific policy about calling out of work, make sure to follow it.<\/p>
If you call out of work, letting your supervisor know about your absence as soon as possible allows them to plan to have your work covered if necessary. For example, if you know your cold is going to keep you out of work, let your employer know the night before instead of waiting until the morning. If your child has a school holiday coming up, you can ask to take that day as a personal day one or two weeks before. <\/p>
If you don\u2019t know until the same day you won\u2019t be coming in, make contact as soon as you can, preferably early in the morning.<\/p>
It\u2019s usually best to give your employer only the most basic details of why you need to miss work. Be sure to express an interest in getting back to work soon, and offer a means of assisting those who will be impacted by your absence.<\/p>
Sometimes the work you would miss by taking a sick day or personal day needs to be completed in your absence\u2014especially if you work in shifts. To make sure your responsibilities are taken care of, consider asking a colleague to fill in for you. <\/p>
For instance, if you work for a package delivery service, ask someone else on your team to cover your route. If you\u2019re staying home for a non-emergency reason and are able to do your work from a computer, you could also ask your employer if you can work from home.<\/p>
Setting an\u00a0automated out-of-office email response\u00a0can also let your clients, coworkers and other associates know what to expect from your absence and how to contact you while you\u2019re out, if possible.<\/p>