What To Say When Calling In Sick (Sample Examples)

Published November 10, 2022 · · Updated May 13, 2024 · 7 minutes · by Kamerpower ·

What To Say When Calling In Sick (Sample Examples). How do you convince your manager that you (and the rest of the office) are better off if you stay home when you call in sick to work? Illness is an inevitable part of life. In this article, we discuss what to say when calling in sick to work, examine whether you need a doctor’s note, and see if you can call in sick while working remotely. 

Calling your supervisor to let them know you’re not feeling well and want to take time off can show that you value the health of your colleagues and your own ability to give your best effort on the job. Sick leave is paid time off from work that you can use to stay home and prioritize your physical and emotional health.

Reasons why you may not feel able to attend work and want to call in sick. For example:

• You have a physical injury. 
• You are hospitalized. 
• You need to attend a medical or doctor’s appointment (in some cases, your boss may require you to take a different type of leave to cover this).
• You are feeling generally unwell and unable to attend work.
• You need to attend a job interview. 
• You just want a day off work. 
• You are physically unwell with a contagious illness.
• You are suffering from food poisoning.
• You have a long-term disability or medical condition that is affecting your ability to carry out your daily activities.
• You are experiencing serious menopause symptoms.
• You are taking time off to look after sick family members.
• You require a mental health day.
• You have stomach cramps. 
• You are pregnant and feeling unwell.

Do I need a doctor’s note for work if I call in sick?

Whether you need a doctor’s note when you call in sick can vary based on several factors. While some organizations may always prefer that their employees provide them with doctor’s notes, others may not request one or only ask for a note during specific situations, such as if they take sick leave for more than a few days.

How many sick days can you take?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average number of paid sick days is eight for any employee of at least a year. That number increases to 11 for an employee with 25 years of experience with the same company. Of course, sick days vary by company and even state.

The Main reasons to call in sick

List of instances when it’s appropriate to call in sick to work:

• Mental health concerns: It’s also appropriate to call in sick if you’re experiencing mental health symptoms or conditions that might inhibit your workplace productivity.
• Medical procedure or recovery: You can also take time off for a planned medical procedure, like an appointment or diagnostic test, or to recover from surgery.
• Chronic health condition: Some professionals may have chronic health conditions that sometimes occur and require them to take time off.
• Physical illness: A physical illness might include a cold, fever, bacterial infection, or other illness that makes it physically difficult for you to conduct your job duties.
• Care for a loved one: If a sick loved one depends on your care, it’s acceptable to take a personal day to look after them.

How to Call in Sick at Work

1. Let Your Boss Know as Soon as Possible

Provide as much notice as possible that you won’t be attending work. If you can tell your boss that you will be taking a sick day the night before, or even as you are leaving the office, then do so. Otherwise, call, email or text first thing in the morning. This will allow them sufficient time to reassign your workload or arrange cover.

2. Make It Brief

Give a brief reason for your absence and explain that you won’t be at work. Try to give some indication of how long you expect to be off work. This will ensure they can make plans accordingly.

3. Make things easy

If you are not well enough to attend work, then your priority should be allowing you the time off you need to recover. However, making any provisions you can to ease the pressure caused by your absence will be appreciated by your boss and the rest of the team.

4. Be Mindful of Social Media

If you enjoy using social media apps such as Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, it pays to be considerate about what you post when off sick from work. This is especially true if you are taking time off from work when you are not actually sick. Remember that if you are ‘friends’ with or ‘followed’ on social media by your boss or work colleagues, they will be able to see everything that you post. It is not sensible to post updates of nights out or trips to the beach when you’re off sick from work.

5. Make Sure the Right People Know

Always ensure that you are familiar with the company policy on sick leave. This will set out who to contact in the case of illness. This could be your boss or human resources. You should always consider who else might be affected by your absence. You can either let these people know about your absence directly or ask for a message to be passed on.

6. Present yourself after calling in sick

If you are absent for under seven days, some employers will ask for confirmation of your sick leave upon your return. This is called self-certification and the exact procedure will be set out by your employer. You might be required to complete a form or send details of your absence by email, so make sure you know what is required.

Sample Example of what to say when calling in sick

1. Example what to say for mental health reasons

“I’ve been having some challenges recently with my mental health, so I am going to take a personal day to help me recuperate. Thank you for understanding and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.”

2. Example if you’re feeling too physically unwell to conduct your job duties:

“I was sick all yesterday evening and I’m still feeling nauseous this morning. Because I don’t want my illness to get worse or to pass along my infection to my coworkers, I’ll be taking a sick day today so that I can hopefully feel better by tomorrow. Thank you for your understanding and I can let you know if I think I can return to work tomorrow toward the end of the workday.”

3. Sample Example what to say if a loved one you’re responsible for is ill. 

“My daughter woke up this morning with a fever and an earache. I and going to take a personal day so that I can care for her and take her to the doctor. I’ll look into arranging childcare for tomorrow so that I can return to work.”

4. Example what to say if you’re calling in physically ill, but want to share fewer details:

“I’m feeling very ill, so I think it’s best if I take the day off from work. I appreciate your flexibility and I plan to be back tomorrow.”

Who do I contact at the company I work for when I’m sick?

Many organizations ask their employees to contact their direct supervisors when they aren’t feeling well enough to conduct their job duties. Other companies might prefer that employees contact professionals in the HR department so that they can correctly mark that employee’s use of personal days, sick leave, or paid time off.

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