What is the "call out" rate at your work?

I do on occasion, yes. I have not this school year which has been great considering I have three small kids. Bruce I am not talking about people calling out for family members that are sick. I am talking about people intentionally abusing the sick leave policy.

 

How do you know they are abusing it? I don't tell people why I call out unless I am asked for a specific reason and that hasn't happened.

Most in this thread seem to look down on people that actually use sick leave when they aren't "dying" yet they have kids that get sick. Kids also have Dr. appt's and someone needs to take them to those. I have had to get my daughter from school in the middle of the day because she took ill. My father is not sick but he needs a lot of assistance now, fortunately my sister and brother (they live much closer) are shouldering most of that load. But I will "call out" if I need too.

It is easy to look down on someone for "abusing" sick leave but, unless you know the intimate details of their life, you actually have no idea whether they are abusing sick leave or they need to use it. Sure, there may be times that you actually know why someone called out but, unless it created more work for you, what's the big deal. If it did create more work for you why not address that with the person directly instead of pissing and moaning about it with others?

 

Bruce, I work around mostly men that are between 25-50 yrs of age and are in relatively good health. I know their living situations. If you are between 25-50 and you have no children under your direct care or sick loved ones and you are calling out sick 80+ hours a year you are abusing the sick leave policy. I am savy to what people do because I have dealt with it for so long in my place of employment. I can almost predict when people are going to call out and for how long. AGAIN, I am not talking about anyone who is doing the right thing and taking care of their kids, fathers, or anything else legit.

 

What did they say when you spoke to them about creating more work for you when they did that?

 

"It is my sick leave...."

Bruce, people indiscrimintately calling out at my work creates a financial burden that impacts the taxpayers. If I cannot break my staff then they are paid at a 1.5X for an hour each shift. If I am unable to break 8 staff at time and half and a half, then that costs the taxpayers approx. $250 each day. Even though I am not personally tasked with financial accountability, it still plays into my role because I believe in protecting the taxpayers dollars.

 

I sure as hell am not looking down at people who take sick leave. Have at It! I just choose not to take It off, big deal. As for taking time away from work for my daughter If she was ill, tough to do In my line of work. Jenny takes care of this. If I had to I sure as hell would but It's much easier for Jenny to do this.

 

When that guy called out for the super bowl you said you guys would retaliate and do the same thing to him on xmas eve. If money were an issue I would think you would use a different solution.

If the call outs are causing that much of a monetary issue and management will not or cannot address the issue directly then perhaps hiring an additional staff member for each shift would be cheaper.

Even in your new job there are going to be things other employees do that you may think is unfair, unacceptable or wrong but, if they are doing these things within the established guidelines, worrying about them and their actions does nothing but make you miserable. If the institution will not or cannot address the problems/issues then I would suggest saving your worrys for things that you can control.

 

Steve, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, I mean no offense, but when your Dad had to find that bear it seemed pretty easy to take the day off to help him.

One of the reasons women have a harder time getting good jobs and equal pay is because employers are afraid they will take to much time off because of their children. It's always easier for Mom to take time off (not directed at you Steve, but at the common thinking) for the kids than it is for Dad. That's is not really true but men promote that line of thought. Having been a single male parent opens your eyes to a lot of things. I would recommend all you fathers contemplate how you would live if it were just you and the kids. I am thinking you would be calling out sick a little more than you do now.

 

Rarely ever and only in extreme circumstances ( rupture appendix with Britney, croup with Tyler when he was very young) . My wife deals with the kids for the most part unless they end up in the hospital. Since I am working more them most... we decided she doesn't work other then a part time job one day a week.

I do remember taking a day off a long time ago because the wife was very sick and needed help with the kids. The next day I was very sick and working. It was a long damn day but I had to be there.

I think a lot of it is if one guy calls in... it makes a rough day for the other guy who is working since there is only two of us besides the boss. We stay busy year round.

Tim

 

I call in sick very little, about 300 hours last year. Thats about avg. where I work and thats the max we are allowed to "mark off".......thats what we call it.

 

I said guys would probably do it to retaliate.....there is no "you guys" because I do not play games or behave in that fashion. I am not worrying, I am rightfully concerned about cruddy behavior. It does not make me miserable because I come to work with a good attitude, and do just that, work. I do not let other people influence my work ethic. And yes, money is always an issue.

 

Sick Time ??? What is this you speak of ??
I am a salesman on straight commission...if you dont' sell, you don't get paid...period.

Of course I take days off when I am about to die, but other than that I am trying to sell. I may not go and visit the customers, since I don't want to spread whatever I have to them, that's when I hit the phone !
I don't have any set amount of sick time, vacation time or otherwise...if I want to take off, I take off..Like my boss told me, you know what you have to do to make a living !

 

Wow, after reading the thread, calling in 300 hours must seem like alot of time off to all you part time workers, LOL!!!

To clarify, I also worked 4,200 hours last year.....thats 525, 8 hour days for all the part timers.

I often wounder what all the guys who only work 50, 60 hours a week do with all the that time off.....10 hours a day, 6 days a week is only 3,120 hours, LOL!!! So, yeh....I called in 300 hours.

 

Two of my kids, one is a Junior and the other a Senior are big enough that they dont need us all hours when there sick, The wife only works 3 hrs a day anyway 10:00 - 1:00 so shes home most of the time anyway, My 11 year old different story, If he needs to stay home the wife takes off, lot less money at stake. Its rare that I get sick most of the time and I have 5 weeks vac to work with anyway, I can use 3 of those weeks as segment vac days, broke down into hours. I can take 2,4,6 or 8 if needed. I cant remember the last time I actually called in sick and used a sick day.

 

Realy....what do you guys who only work 60 hours a week, or less, do with all that time off? Work a second job????

 

You working those hours is your choice Josh. I spend those hours off being a husband and a father. I am talking about a standard 40 hour a week job. I was also ONLY talking about guys who abuse the sick leave. I am NOT talking about moms who take off for kids, guys who have medical appts, etc. I am talking about guys who did not give a crap about other people. Other than that, I am good.

 

I spend it with my family. Time with them is worth more than a second job.

 

I stand buy you 100%....anyone who works only 60 hours a week or less, that "calls in sick" once a year or more...I think...should be dismissed. Wow, there already getting 5,640 hours a year off....thats a lot of time off.

 

Why do some worry so much what others do? What others get for benefits like sick time?

In all honesty it's no ones business what I take for sick to time, but the owner of my company. I do not go to work sick, so I can get others sick. Staying home when your sick is not going to shut your company down.

 

Lol, 60 hours week, my code never stops working. I can tell you I do not work 60 hours a week, nor will I. Life is to short