Playing hookie

[J Francho]

I don't have to fake a day off.  I have PTO.  That's it, no sick time.  PTO is a benefit I earned by showing up to work.  I took an unplanned PTO to go fishing with @wnybassman several years ago.  Wasn't my first or my last.  Got a PB that day.

 

[Spankey]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I need a mental health day sometimes with my work. We don't have exactly have them, but I figure it's better for me to burn a sick day than go to work when I know I need a minute away from it.

Very well put. Those sort of unplanned fish day are Mental Relief Days. Healthy for you. More than likely the day to day issues you left there the prior day will be waiting an unaddressed the following day when you return. 
 

If your job required You to do a scheduled kidney transplant that day I would hope you would reconsider.  

[Log Catcher]

I never took a sick day to go fishing. I had to take a vacation day or a PTO day for that. Over the years several people were fired when they got caught misusing there sick time. I couldn't afford to take that chance.

[Tizi]

I have definitely played hookie before - think mental health day.  As I have grown older, I have gain benefits, including vacation time.  I use that when I have a last minute fishing trip I want to attend.  I like to give at least 24 hours notice, but that doesn't always happen.  In addition, I can leave early and make up the time during the week.  Comp time.

[MN Fisher]

42 minutes ago, Log Catcher said:

I never took a sick day to go fishing. I had to take a vacation day or a PTO day for that. Over the years several people were fired when they got caught misusing there sick time. I couldn't afford to take that chance.

Last job I had before I retired - we had 2 weeks a year of PTO...it wasn't separated into Vacation, Sick or 'General'. Since I rarely get sick, I used it all for a day or two off here and there since the wife and I never took away-vacations.

[Log Catcher]

8 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Last job I had before I retired - we had 2 weeks a year of PTO...it wasn't separated into Vacation, Sick or 'General'. Since I rarely get sick, I used it all for a day or two off here and there since the wife and I never took away-vacations.

Our time was broken down. We got 12 vacation days, 3 PTO days, and 3 emergency days for funerals. We got paid when we had jury duty but you had to bring in a form signed by an official at the court house to prove you were there to get paid. When we got a lot of snow some would call in saying they were taking a sick day. That got stopped when they were told to bring in a signed note from the doctor. I always had a 4WD truck so I didn't have to worry about it.

[NYWayfarer]

I have 4 weeks PTO a year and 7 sick days. I can take a day off whenever I want if I give 24 hours notice and there is coverage.

 

I am a manager so I like to lead by example so you won’t see me playing hookie.

[DitchPanda]

I get about 15 to 17 days of pto a year depending on what holidays I work...and I'm fortunate to have a very cool boss so I've also never called in sick to go fishing but I have used some lets say last minute "emergency" PTO days for quick trips..as long as nobody else on my crew is out im usually good even on just a day or two notice

[Ratherbfishing]

Call it what you will (OCD or the need for an orderly life) but seldom do I take a spur of the moment sick day.  I will, however, take a "floating holiday" (get it?  a FLOATING holiday???).  Semantics, you know.

[r3825]

I'm 100% commission so if my phone is on me I'm working,  could be visiting customers,  could be from the home office or the floating office.  If it's a weekend trip and I need coverage then I use my vacation or personal days.

[moguy1973]

I have to add one thing here.  I know people need their day off here and there. My reasoning why I don’t take an unscheduled sick day to go fishing is because I know people rely on me when I’m and work and nothing makes me more mad at work when I show up at work and someone I’m relying on has taken the day off to go fishing.  If it’s a legit reason or a planned absence it’s fine but just to take a day off because you’d rather be fishing, well, get a different job that allows you to do that. 

[Kletust]

1 hour ago, moguy1973 said:

I have to add one thing here.  I know people need their day off here and there. My reasoning why I don’t take an unscheduled sick day to go fishing is because I know people rely on me when I’m and work and nothing makes me more mad at work when I show up at work and someone I’m relying on has taken the day off to go fishing.  If it’s a legit reason or a planned absence it’s fine but just to take a day off because you’d rather be fishing, well, get a different job that allows you to do that. 

 

I think this all depends on the person and their job duties.  It's absolutely no big deal for some.  For others... it could cost them a job or put others in a bad way because of their selfishness (if you being out causes grief for others). 

 

If I don't have appointments scheduled I can pretty much come and go as I please as long as my office is covered.  But I also have a VERY good assistant and I pay her well for what she does.  Other people might work somewhere that if they call in... someone else gets called and told to come in early, etc.  In that case it's pretty selfish to put them in that situation.

 

When I worked in an industrial plant as a supervisor... If I was out.. the other supervisors had to cover me.  I never missed.  Our workers had vacation and sick time.  Vacation had to be scheduled.  Sick time occured if your time out wasn't pre-scheduled and was based on a percentage of your assigned work time.  If you missed more than 2.4% of your scheduled hours for a rolling 12 month period you were written up.  We never asked or cared on the why (unless it was some sort of family/medical emergency).

[Columbia Craw]

Let me wrap my head around this concept. Tell my employer that I am too ill to meet my responsibilities when I am not ill at all.  I just want to go fishing.  I can minimize or rationalize that as something as petty as playing hookie which means skip school. Uhhhh no.  

[OCdockskipper]

From an employer perspective, I would agree with those who have said take a PTO day, but give some notice.  There is nothing worse for a small company than having to scramble to cover for someone who calls in sick 10 minutes before they are suppose to be there.  With some notice, the day can be planned around a particular person not being there.

 

And if you believe that it doesn't make a big difference whether you give notice or not, you may want to give some thought as to your value to the company.  If things hum along when you aren't there, then you aren't really needed, something that the owner will figure out quick enough.

[galyonj]

I'm on call 24/7/365 as the administrator and lead developer for a whole slew of external and internal web properties. At last count, I have 349.06 hours of CTO built up. Having the equivalent of 43 paid days off in the bank is one of the perks of being a recovering workaholic, I guess.

 

So I don't take much time off, but I love what I do. If I'm sick, I just work at the house.

 

That said, if I'm feeling the itch and my systems are reading green, I'll dip out for the afternoon and go beat the bank for a while, and I won't feel a bit bad about it.

[Rpratt]

Many many times I have already launched the boat, made a few casts, and then called in....

 

"Cough cough" I am sick not coming in "cough cough"

 

I drove a truck locally and in a month we go thru the Chinese New Year where freight is scarce. I get alot of this during this...

 

Me: What am I doing tomorrow?

Dispatcher: Go fishing

Me: Your the best boss ever....?

[moguy1973]

Bringing this topic back up for those who have sick leave during this trying time.  Our work, in the case schools are closed and we have to stay home to watch the kids, is requiring us to take sick leave while we are home.  Another reason why not to take a hookie sick day to go fishing.  Still gotta get paid.

[J Francho]

There are far many more people affected that do not have sick leave.  With non essential businesses closed, there are many that won't be paid anyway.