[apillar]

Although I rarely take off without notice, when I do, I don't give any excuse at all unless asked, which I never have been. I'll just call and say, put me down for a leave day or sick day as the situation warrants. The moral of the story is, unless you are the type that really abuses the leave policy, most employers don't really care the reason your taking leave.

[rlmorel]

I almost NEVER take unscheduled days off, and part of that is that I have been lucky enough not to get sick (knocks on wood)

I have had chronic back problems since I was in high school, and it got so bad I would miss 2-3 days of work because I could not get off of my back. Literally. Had to use a bedpan at home. Very bad.

I had kind of a funny experience...when I began working here. My back went out, but I had to get in. We had people quit to take other jobs, and were down to two people from five, and had patients scheduled, so...I came in. I could barely walk. Ever see Tim Conway on the Carol Burnett Show...that shuffling walk? Slow it down by 3/4, and that was me trying to walk into the hospital to go to work. Hunched over nearly double, barely able to step six inches with each foot, and pausing in between. (And I was a young man...:)

When I went to meet my first patient of the day, she put her hand to her mouth and said “Oh my God. I saw you walk in the main entrance, and I thought you were a patient here!”

Thing is, and I got it from my dad: You don’t skip work unless you are contaigiously sick (and REALLY sick) or there is a REAL emergency. My dad was a functional alcoholic his whole life, and while he didn’t drink at work, he drank himself into unconsciousness or a stupor many nights. But he was always, ALWAYS up at 0500, shaved, cleaned and ready to go to work. I have no idea how he did it, but he did.

You don’t call in because you don’t feel like going to work. You don’t call in because you are tired. You don’t call in because it is going to be a great sunny day out. You don’t call in because you want to go skiing, and you don’t call in because you overslept.

You go in every single day, because you are being paid to do so by your employer, and you have people who will have to pick up the slack for you if you don’t.

The great thing is, I can call in anytime I want, and nobody would ever say boo to me, especially not my boss. My boss appreciates it that I never put him in a position to have to cover or answer for me.