Poll: Playing Hooky

[rapunzel47]

Originally Posted by valanhb

This place is so understanding that it doesn't even matter the reason I want time off. Concert? No problem - Have fun! (And the bosses ask how the show was the next day!) Birthday? Enjoy your day! But that attitude makes me NOT want to miss work if I don't have to, and save up the sick time I am allotted just in case. (My last job didn't have sick time allotted, you had to use vacation time if you were sick.)

No job is perfect. Every employer has its warts. But I hear you loud and clear, and that's how it is in my job, too. I have enough sick time banked to take a year off if I needed to -- no kidding! -- but if I need a couple of days for something, I sort out what I need to sort out and then take them. And then there's the attitude of my boss, who suggested at a department meeting in late spring that we all think about taking some extra long weekends through the summer, as long as we weren't all away at the same time. But then that's part of the reason I'm still there after 25 years.

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

I have never done that in this job - Lordy I would feel so guilty plus you can't call in sick when you're not and you work for a doctor!! My boss is lovely but he would know...lol.

The only time I have called in and said I was going to be late was when I caught up with a friend who was back from Melbourne, and we had a massive night together and I didn't sleep AT ALL. I was shaky and still inebriated the next morning at 8am and couldn't possibly drive to work.

Anyway I rang my boss and told him the truth and he was very disappointed. So I felt so awful that I got in my car anyway, drove home, showered and dressed, and drove to work and got there almost on time. It was the worst day of my life and I will never do anything so irresponsible and childish again!!!

 

[ugaimes]

Alright, who's the person who says they'd never play hooky because they like working too much???

 

[rockcat]

Originally Posted by ugaimes

Alright, who's the person who says they'd never play hooky because they like working too much???

Yeah, thats what I want to know. (Must be someone who can only check in with TCS at work).

 

[purity]

I've never really done it with this job, although I have called in sick and then felt better a few hours later and not gone in. I've also had days where I felt bad, could have worked, but felt it was better to stay off than to spread my lurgie round the office and infect everyone!

My boss is also one of those great ones who trust us, and because of that I don't want to abuse his trust. I've had many an early afternoon when the work's slow or the boss takes us out for long lunches with the entire company, and little things like that make you want to work harder.

My old job was a different story, I hated my bosses and they were a nightmare about leaving early. If everyone was out of the office except me, they would call at 4.59 just to make sure I hadn't left one minute early. I wouldn't have left early without permission anyway, but it was the lack of trust that annoyed me. If we went out for a work lunch, it was strictly ONE hour and the boss arrived 10 minutes late so he didn't have to buy any drinks. He then bolted down his food and went back to the office within half an hour. It was a miserable place to work with a very defined them & us atmosphere.

 

[valanhb]

Originally Posted by Marge

It's funny, I started thread about this awhile back. I had a supervisor ask if I was "really sick" when I used sick time and I was asking if other people have that happen. I found her question intrusive but maybe that was me.

Yeah, my last job was like that. Even when I went to the flippin' hospital for tests (the stress had me in such knots that they thought I had problems with my gall bladder), they thought I wasn't really ill.

Originally Posted by Purity

My old job was a different story, I hated my bosses and they were a nightmare about leaving early. If everyone was out of the office except me, they would call at 4.59 just to make sure I hadn't left one minute early. I wouldn't have left early without permission anyway, but it was the lack of trust that annoyed me.

Oh I hear you on that one! My former bosses would do the same thing, particularly right before holidays. Christmas Eve and the day before and after Thanksgiving, they wouldn't even come in, but expected the Admin staff to be there and would call to make sure we were there the full day. No matter that NO ONE else was in the office, and no one was calling (except them!), we still had to be there all day. And if we asked to leave early, the answer was always no.

 

[beckiboo]

Originally Posted by ugaimes

Alright, who's the person who says they'd never play hooky because they like working too much???

You caught me! I put that, just because I would never call in sick if I wasn't because I don't like to lie. However, I have taken sick days to stay home with my kids. And now I have PTO (paid time off) hours, so sick or vacation is the same. I just tell the truth about why I want a day off. My horse was real sick, and I thought I might need to take a day off with her. If I did, I would just tell my boss. He might think I'm a little batty, but he would understand.

Also, as a nurse, I am usually in a position where if I take the day off someone has to cover for me. I would be mad if I had to cover for someone who lied about being sick. I'd rather cover for someone who said they had been out too late drinking, etc.

I don't love my job THAT much, although I enjoy it. But if I won a million dollars...I would quit!