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What the hell? Do you have to give a reason for taking personal leave? Just say you have to take care of something in the morning and you will be in after lunch. Take the leave you have earned and don't apologize for god's sake.
To clarify, they wanted a more specific excuse for me to use paid sick leave. I can certainly take "personal time" without having to give specifics, but it'll be unpaid.
Excellent point... and since that isn't something they can ask your employer (at least not here in CA), there is NO way for them to know. It is a good test of stupidity, however, since only a moron would actually say "I lied and called in sick."
You'd think. But the question always catches them off guard anyway. And I'm pretty good at smoking out a liar. Here are some of the boneheaded responses I've had to that question:
1) I told them I was sick.
2) I told them my car was in the shop.
3) I just left without telling them anything.
4) I told them I had to wait for the cable guy at home.
Uh huh. To me, there are actually valid things you can say to your current employer, ones that demonstrate a truthful personality:
1) I told them I was taking a long lunch to do some personal business.
2) I told them I needed to leave early so I worked through lunch.
3) I took a personal day.
And to the person whose boss was demanding to know the reason for a personal day, simply say, 'I'm taking a personal day.' No explanation should be necessary.
That's a question I was always totally prepared to answer in good way. But I've never used a sick day for an interview. Vacation days, personal days, comp days, yes. I think I have been asked it, but not in a long time. I have volunteered the info, though. On more than one occasion when interviews have run long and I was asked how much time I had, I have answered that I took a personal or vacation day and therefor had the rest of the day free.
I think as an interviewer I may have asked it once, because it fit into the conversation. Otherwise I wouldn't usually ask.
Location: The Northeast - hoping one day the Northwest!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinsanity
The interview is at 10:00 tomorrow. I could say it's a doctor's appointment, but I don't want to re-use that same reason if I have to take yet more time off for another interview.
If the interview is at 10am - I would say you were having car trouble. That way you can show up after you had your car '"fixed." Good luck.
I've always said "doctor's appointment" or something and just take half a day.
It's not the worst thing in the world to use a few hours of your leave for a job interview. I'd rather do that than be honest and get problems from my boss later for being mad that I was looking for work!
Just say that you're coming in late? My job doesn't ask about the "why"... if I have an appointment/errand/whatever I just tell the people I work with that I am coming in late and either make up the time or take it out of my leave time. When I was interviewing, I always had them done in the morning or in the evening. The interviewers knew that I had a job and they worked around it.
To clarify, they wanted a more specific excuse for me to use paid sick leave. I can certainly take "personal time" without having to give specifics, but it'll be unpaid.
It's interesting to see some of the comments about telling a white lie or stating that you dont have to give them any detail. i.e. it's none of their business. Everyone's job situation is different, so Im glad the OP clarified that they needed to be more specific or would need to take unpaid leave. Geez...
All of the jobs I've worked never asked for a reason for why I would take leave. I just took it. So of course I would draw from my own experience. If the OP can take unpaid time at will, then so be it. If the job is worth it to you but you don't want to jeopardize your relationship with your current job, then you'll have to work within the parameters.
I've never had a job where I had to lie to my manager. I would simply say "I have something I need to take care of; is it okay if I come in around noon (or leave earlier)." If its someone I'm chatty with they might ask is everything okay. I think most jobs realize that occasionally people have to rely on other businesses/services that only operate during the same time they're scheduled to be at work; i.e. cable/phone companies installing service, furniture/appliances being delivered, dentist/doctor appointments (better use that insurance you pay for), repairman, mechanic, etc.
Either way it goes I wouldn't lie. Especially if it meant i would be getting sick pay for not really being sick. Things like that always come back around and ONE person can mess up a good thing for everybody, especially in smaller companies.
It is kind of funny how the strict 9-to-5 jobs trap you in such a way that the only way to ever get out is to completely destroy yourself financially and quit without having anything else lined up.
Maybe look for a line of work that isn't so, let's say, lame.
Aren't we a bit over dramatic? To the OP, just say you aren't feeling well. Keep it simple and believable.
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