calling in sick on your 4th day at a new job.... (employment, interview)
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[quote=cocaseco;32687810]As a general rule as a manager for nearly 20 years, I have observed that if people miss a day in their first 90 days, they ultimately won't make it. It may be unfair, but that's life in a work environment where there are hundreds of people looking to take your job. This is true almost every time, but there a re a few exceptions. I'd say the OP needs to make one hell of an impression when he returns as the odds of him staying employed are against him now.[/quote
I am the OP. I was a manager for the last 15 years and I don't agree with your 90 day assessment. As a manager, someone calling in during their first 90 days might **** me off but I wouldn't fire until their was a pattern. I'm sure I've had people call in early in their tenures who ended up fine. I can't help that I got the flu on my fourth day. I'm hoping that when another month or two goes by and my attendance is perfect (outside of this one day) that this will be forgotten. As a manager I would've forgotten. IMO it's all about patterns. Still I posted the question because this is my first non management gig in quite a while.
Yes, this is a new job and the OP shouldn't take chances but if he/she is really sick, then as an employer, I would rather them take care of their sickness first then to come in, not do a productive job and then make other people sick.
Yes, this is a new job and the OP shouldn't take chances but if he/she is really sick, then as an employer, I would rather them take care of their sickness first then to come in, not do a productive job and then make other people sick.
I am hoping this is my boss's line of thinking. Thank you. The reality is that I haven't been this sick since I was a kid. I couldn't tell you the last time I ran a fever with chills and uncontrollable coughing. My first day back is tomorrow at 7:30 AM. I was originally scheduled off today. I am a little better today than I was yesterday but still very sick. I am going to just suck it up and go in in the morning and work until they tell me to go home. I like this new job and I want to keep it. It would be very unfortunate if I got fired for calling in sick one day. Although I am keeping the possibility open in my mind.
I work in healthcare too. The issue is, you have patients scheduled, how much do they like being called, and cancelled for an appointment they have been waiting a month or more for? Being sick, does not equal contagious, especially if you wear gloves, mask, and practice universal precautions. In rural health care, a patient may have travelled 200 miles or more for an appointment.
Some jobs, you just don't call in sick. You make it until you can leave.
As another health care worker in a hospital, coming to work sick is a big no-no and you will be sent home for it. You're required to have the flu vaccine nowadays where I am and if you take one step into a patient area, you better have a mask on if you didn't get the shot so yeah, they don't want you in there sick.
BTW-I've gone to the doctor many times where my doctor isn't in and guess what? Someone is covering for them. That's why all hospitals have part-time and per diem workers. (And most primary care/outpatient places also have people to cover.
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Originally Posted by TiltheEndofTime
I work at two hospitals with very sick people, not outpatient.
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Originally Posted by TiltheEndofTime
That is what float staff, agency, and travelers are for: to fill the holes. And if the person calling off leaves staff short, then that is management's problem, not the sick employee. That is why you should overstaff because 9/10 someone is going to call off from one unit or another. But schedulers would rather staff their minimum and oftentimes leave the units short anyway, even if no one calls off.
Again...is it really worth passing whatever you have on to a very fragile and vulnerable patient? Is it worth it?
I don't think so. I'm around little babies often and I would feel guilty if I unwittingly got them sick even after taking necessary precautions. And don't get me started with cancer patients who are extremely high risk for infection and illness.
I started the current job I have this past January. I think the second week in I got sick, like REALLY sick, and ended up taking two days off. I called in and apologized, and my boss said don't worry, that half the office called in sick as well as myself.
When I came back, there were still people out sick.
4 months later I was promoted, and my boss said next year (October) I will be promoted again.
Hopefully you can get well asap and show them you aren't the type to constantly call in
You could go for years without getting sick, and your body just happens to come down with the flu after you started a new job. Life happens! If the boss doesn't understand...then you need to step back and think about if you really want to work in an environment like that.
There are probably 18 other people after that job. It's just bad stars. I'm afraid you'll have to go in even if you have to crawl in. Take a box of Kleenex.
Personally I would always give the person the benefit of the doubt. If it keeps happening then there might be a problem.
This is what I was thinking. As a manager, if a new employee called in sick within the first 4 days, I would definitely be concerned. I would be keeping a close eye on that individual. But, bottom line, people can get sick and as long as it wasn't a routine thing, I'd let it go.
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Originally Posted by Osito
There are a lot of people on this forum who want to go back to the good ol' days where the peons lost a hand at work and kept right on pluggin'!
Haha. I just watched Elysium last night with my son (it was really BAD) but the employer/employee relationship was just as you describe and this was set in the FUTURE.
BTW-I've gone to the doctor many times where my doctor isn't in and guess what? Someone is covering for them. That's why all hospitals have part-time and per diem workers. (And most primary care/outpatient places also have people to cover.
That's good, I always wondered this about the health field.
I am hoping this is my boss's line of thinking. Thank you. The reality is that I haven't been this sick since I was a kid. I couldn't tell you the last time I ran a fever with chills and uncontrollable coughing. My first day back is tomorrow at 7:30 AM. I was originally scheduled off today. I am a little better today than I was yesterday but still very sick. I am going to just suck it up and go in in the morning and work until they tell me to go home. I like this new job and I want to keep it. It would be very unfortunate if I got fired for calling in sick one day. Although I am keeping the possibility open in my mind.
Well I can tell you that it is MY line of thinking, and I am a manager. I have no doubts that my supervisor, and our VP, and everybody else up the line at my company would support this line of thinking as well.
Hopefully you are up in the same situation.
PS....next fall, get a flu shot!
Last edited by johnp292; 12-21-2013 at 11:23 AM..
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