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Playing hookie from work. Do you do it?

May 13, 2009
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Thinking really hard about it. In the last 2+ years I've missed maybe 5 days total and 4 of them were legit excuses. I feel I'm do for one. How irresponsible is it and do you do it? If so how often?
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,287
14,705
146
No...never....well, maybe an occasional "mental health day."


When the crane operator takes a day off...not much gets done.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,071
10,553
126
All the time, but I didn't do it when I had particularly important work to do. I never really took vacations, but I'd spread my leave around a day at a time throughout the year.
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
it feels like usually, not being at work generates more work for me to do than actually being there to begin with.
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
Uh of course. How else are you going to use your sick and personal days if you're never sick (except of work) and you're a young guy who goes to Doctor once a year and dentist twice a year?
 

schneiderguy

Lifer
Jun 26, 2006
10,801
91
91
I work as a math tutor and my boss basically loses ~$120/hour when I don't show up. So showing up to work is strongly encouraged :p
 

Spg

Senior member
Mar 11, 2001
214
0
76
I tell any new boss that I can usually predict my sick days about a week in advanced. And that I can let them know about it, so they can plan around it, or it can be a surprise.

As a matter of fact I expect I will be sick on Friday, so I can get to our campsite before dark.
 

iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
1
0
No

I have missed 3 days of work in the last 5~6 years.
 
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Zargon

Lifer
Nov 3, 2009
12,218
2
76
Uh of course. How else are you going to use your sick and personal days if you're never sick (except of work) and you're a young guy who goes to Doctor once a year and dentist twice a year?

this.

sometimes after finishing a big project and runnings lots of OT, I need a mental health day.

but about every 6-8 months on a cycle I stop sleeping very well, and end up running for a few weeks on 5-6 hours of sleep no matter what do, and I end up crashing hard and sleeping for an entire day and get back to normal

not exactly hookie, but not exactly 'sick'
 

D1gger

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,411
2
76
I take an occassional mental health day, but only when I know that I don't have any commitments that can't wait a day.
 

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
4,815
33
91
My workplace recently combined the 5 days (or whatever it is) that we get per year into our vacation time. So, if you don't get sick, you get 5 (or whatever it is) extra days of vacation.

But, if you get sick for more than 5 days per year, you eat into your vacation time.


It works out well for most of the people... I think.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,071
10,553
126
My workplace recently combined the 5 days (or whatever it is) that we get per year into our vacation time. So, if you don't get sick, you get 5 (or whatever it is) extra days of vacation.

But, if you get sick for more than 5 days per year, you eat into your vacation time.


It works out well for most of the people... I think.

We had segregated vacation/sick time, but they were completely interchangeable. I never quite understood the distinction.
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
I'll not just randomly call off in the morning because I don't feel like coming in; that's reserved for when I wake up and am genuinely sick.

But I'll take a day off now and then just because I feel like it, provided that things are reasonably in order at work. Advance notice doesn't seem to be terribly necessary, as there's not really anyone else there to cover for me anyway. I mainly just have to make sure that the other engineer on staff isn't going to be out the same day too. Once that's out of the way, it's mostly a matter of asking my supervisor, "Do you mind if I take Friday off?"
 

kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
Two years ago we ended a distinction between sick days and vacation days, and now just have "paid time off". Under the old system you could technically have unlimited sick days if you were salaried. But in recent years the younger workers were experiencing an incredible number of "sick" days, mostly on Mondays and Fridays. Some of them were missing 10 days a year, one day at a time, and taking full vacation leave on top of that. I saw statistics that showed the average number of sick days by employees with less than 5 years seniority went from 3.2 in 2004 to 7.5 in 2008. Total cost of the increased time was over $120,000.

Now if you're sick, on vacation, or just want a mental health day, you use "paid time off".
 

hclarkjr

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,375
0
0
to many bills to pay to even think about it, have not missed day of work for little over 6 years now
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
118
116
I don't, though I will occassionally take an afternoon off to go see a movie or something, but I always book those as half vacation days. I don't remember ever calling in sick. :hmm:

KT
 

AlienCraft

Lifer
Nov 23, 2002
10,539
0
0
No. We don't get paid for any days off.
There are no "sick" days or Vacation pay.
No work, no pay.
There used to be, but the new owners do not believe in it.
Except for Management, of course.
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
Two years ago we ended a distinction between sick days and vacation days, and now just have "paid time off". Under the old system you could technically have unlimited sick days if you were salaried. But in recent years the younger workers were experiencing an incredible number of "sick" days, mostly on Mondays and Fridays. Some of them were missing 10 days a year, one day at a time, and taking full vacation leave on top of that. I saw statistics that showed the average number of sick days by employees with less than 5 years seniority went from 3.2 in 2004 to 7.5 in 2008. Total cost of the increased time was over $120,000.

Now if you're sick, on vacation, or just want a mental health day, you use "paid time off".

States have different laws.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,287
14,705
146
States have different laws.

Few (if any) states have laws requiring paid time off for employees. I know that in Kahleeforneeya, IF you get paid vacation days, it's considered "earned income" and the company has to pay you for any unused days at termination, but sick leave is not...and you're not entitled to be paid for unused days.

Paid time off has been rare for me in my career. Most of the time, if you don't work...you don't get paid. No paid holidays, no paid vacation, no paid sick days.