It happens. You have to miss work either because you are sick or because of a family emergency. Sometimes the stress of the world just gets to be too much and you have to “check out” for a day in order to keep yourself grounded. We all do it and your manager knows that it is inevitable. You will have to call in at some point. Of course, there are the superhero employees who go 25 years without missing a day. If you are one of those people, then you probably need to teach me a few things because I don’t know how to manage that. For me, I usually call in a few times a year. I usually hold by the idea that I have to go to work and then if I can’t make it I’ll leave early. I rarely leave early because by the time I get there I usually start to feel better and I get immersed in the responsibilities of the day.
However, I do call in sometimes and I think that there is actually a right and wrong way of doing it. Here are a few keys to calling in that will help you avoid irritating your coworkers and angering your boss.
Plan Carefully
What is happening at your place of business today? Can they do without you? Is there an important appointment? Do you have a meeting scheduled with your boss? On days where something important is happening, you probably should go in anyway. Even if you end up leaving sick a few hours later, at least you showed up. That goes a long way for most employers. They know you didn’t just call in because you didn’t feel like getting up.
Take Responsibility
Don’t just call in and then hope that someone takes care of whatever needs to be done. Instead, take responsibility for what you were supposed to do that day and find someone else who can do it. If something can wait, then that’s fine. But if it’s something vital to the company, it’s your job to make sure it gets done – even if you can’t do it yourself.
Don’t Abuse The Privilege
Think carefully before you call in. Do you REALLY need to call in, or do you just feel a little under the weather? Do you actually have a family emergency that can’t be avoided, or can someone take care of the situation until you get off work. Employers know when you are taking advantage of the situation. If you really need to call in and you hardly ever miss work, then your boss is going to be much more receptive to your absence.