Have You Been Using Your Sick Days Wisely?

Are you hoping for a sick day in your near future? Well, you have permission from career experts to call in sick – sometimes. With the sky-high unemployment rate, a lot of workers these days are petrified they’ll lose their job if they take even one day off. But experts say sometimes a sick day is the right call. We’ve got a list of when calling in sick is OK and when it’s not. Let’s start with when it’s not OK:

1. You partied too hard last night. Experts say it’s not fair to make your coworkers pick up your workload just because you’re hung-over.

2. It’s the opening day of “Iron Man 3”! Or a playoff baseball game, or your favorite band is in town. Experts say if you want to go to an important event, schedule the day off ahead of time.

3. Your boss is driving you crazy. A new poll found that half of workers don't like their managers. But calling in sick isn’t a fix. Instead, experts suggest focusing on working hard – that way you’ll move up the ladder, and possibly even above your current boss.

Now, here’s when experts say it’s OK to call in sick:

1. You have a family emergency, like your child or spouse is sick.

2. When commuting to work would be like “Mission: Impossible!” If icy, rainy, or snowy weather is bad enough to close roads, or schools – experts say it’s probably not safe for you to be on the roads.

3. It’s also OK to skip work if your water heater floods your basement! Household emergencies happen to everyone. And because plumbers, electricians and repairmen often only work during normal business hours – it’s OK to occasionally miss work so they can make repairs.

4. You have a job interview. Experts say an interview is your shot at advancing your career, so you should always make time for it.

photo: George Eastman House Collection