Is one sick day a month too much?

[Anonymous]

Is it a lot, to call in sick once a month?

I have a few chronic illnesses, usually manageable but occasionally they'll add up to be too much and I'll have to call in. Probably, about once a month. (Often they fall on days off where I can rest, luckily)

Is once a month too much? Do people really not get sick this often? My current job only allows to call in 5 times in a six month period; but that feels like not a lot if you include any potential emergencies or if you're sick for more than one day in a row.

[Daniela1982]

You need FMLA protection. Then they can't fire you for being off with illnesses.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It also requires that their group health benefits be maintained during the leave.

FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. It also seeks to accommodate the legitimate interests of employers and promote equal employment opportunity for men and women.

FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for any of the following reasons:

For the birth and care of the newborn child of an employee;
For placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care;
To care for an immediate family member (i. e., spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.
Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Whether an employee has worked the minimum 1,250 hours of service is determined according to FLSA principles for determining compensable hours or work.

[sage2021]

Five days in a six month period is pretty good. So, for each month for five months you can take your one day a month. However, the 6th month you'll probably have to use a vacation day, or not get paid.
Where I worked last we only got 5 days a year!

[Asker]

I mixed it up, it's actually 4 days 😅
You call in 4 days out of a year and one more; you're fired? We don't get vacation days either, these aren't considered "sick days" they're just unexcused absences. Doctors notes don't excuse the point.

[Oliverlogan263]

Hmm, one call out a month doesn't seem like too much to me, especially if you've got illnesses to deal with. Some jobs are really strict about it, but they shouldn't expect people to never get sick at all, you know?

As long as you're not obviously taking advantage or calling in every other week, I don't think once a month is a big deal. I'm sure some months you might not even need the one day anyway. And it's not like you wanna go to work sick and get everyone else ill too!

Five times in six months does sound kinda low if you could be sick for multiple days at once. What if you get the flu or something? Their policy doesn't seem very flexible.

I'd say as long as you're not missing important deadlines or projects, taking one mental health day a month isn't unreasonable. Your health is important. Maybe have a chat with your boss and see if you can get a bit more wiggle room with their policy since you do have chronic conditions. Hopefully they'll understand!

[exitseven]

When I worked at a college I used to get sick a few weeks after thee kids vmcame back in September and would be sick u til after Christmas. I got lots of sick time which was good because I called in sick maybe 15 times a winter

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[slatyb]

Have you spoken with your manager about your health care needs? They have a duty to accommodate to some extent. I am not an employment lawyer, you might consult one.