Calling in Sick (when by "sick" you mean "I love tequila!")

I rarely do it. Call in sick, that is. Others do it a lot, I guess, according to the MSN Careers Site.  I've maybe taken one or two sick days since I started at Microsoft almost 7 years ago. Yeah, just healthy living and a major decrease in allergy symptom since I moved here (something to do with the air and the fact that there's some winter humidity). Anyway, this article reminded me of something I've discussed with a nameless friend a few times and we simply don't agree. The topic? Is it OK to call in sick if you have a hangover. I won't tell you my position up front but for you math whizzes out there, I can tell you that I have had more than one or two hangovers in the last seven years. Yeah, I'm sure my family is so proud.

What do you think? OK to call in with a hangover or not?

OK, to post anonymously if you must share your personal hangover stories ; )

Comments

• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
  I remember at an old job of mine, our suppliers had their Christmas party on a Tuesday night. I think the next day, pretty much everyone called in sick (or at the very least, didn't make it in until after midday).
  
  But at the same time, I believe Friday and Saturday night exist for a reason - because you don't have to go to work on Saturday or Sunday morning. And let's face it, if two nights a week arean't enough for you to get rip-roaring drunk, then you've probably got bigger problems than just calling in sick the next day.
  
  So in summary, I'd say the odd special occasion would be nothing to get fired over, but you shouldn't be making a habit of it. (Of course, you shouldn't make a habit of calling in sick all the time anyway, but anyway...)

• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
  See, this is where it gets interesting because what you explained is just looking at it from a straight productivity standpoint, but if workers think they can call in sick when hungover with no repercussions, wouldn't that cause them to do it more and cause less productivity overall? Isn't the sacrificing of a vacation day, at least, a deterrent?
  
  I think some people will still drink even thought they know the alcohol's effect on them and that is their choice (so much for not exposing my opinion), but the people eating bad sushi don't know it's bad bc if they did they wouldn't eat it. But the drinkers know what x number of beers can/will do to them and drink anyway. That's a choice, not an illness.
  
  See what kind of debate I get into with friends over beers? On a Friday, of course.

• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
  I get 3 day hangovers where I am totally unproductive, depressed and antisocial. I tend to limit drinking to Fridays only and pray if it comes, that its gone by Monday.
  
  I would rather just take sick days if necesarry, as in my case I am clearly wasting my employers time being hungover.

• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
  leppie-see a doctor

• Anonymous
  February 21, 2006
  How about not getting a hangover?  Drinking a lot of water will counteract the diuretic effect of alcohol.  Also, replenish whatever salts and other electrolytes by eating something salty, or heck, just eat SOMETHING.  I've never had a hangover yet, of course, I don't drink all that much that often.  

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  That's a really difficult question to answer, Heather (as you see by the variety of replies). I don't personally chastise someone for not coming in hungover, as long as it doesn't happen too much. And, yes, we all expect it from younger people. I hope they don't blame me when I have to watch a sick kid at home (which happens more than I'd like). It actually scares me to think of what life is like for those people who work in a factory and work hourly. No work = no pay. My company doesn't have a sick policy, so as long as you're not taking too much time off, you're okay. I think as long as you work hard and aren't putting everyone else in a crunch by your hangovers, go right ahead.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  I agree with Dean and Matt. Come on, you HR folks, take it a bit easy. As long as you don't make a habit of calling in sick because of a hangover, it is ok. In any case, how many people would confess to be being sick because of a hangover? And, it is better not to be in the office when you have a hangover because you would not be able to work anyway.
  
  Here's an analogy. I may take Personal Time Off or a vacation day to attend a job interview, but I would not tell my boss about my plans.
  
  Certain things are personal, and a company has no business knowing about it as long as it does not affect productivity, output and the work environment.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  Anil-people can use their vacation says any way they want and there's no need to disclose what they are doing. They are days to use however you wish. Sick days are a benefit that the company pays for on your behalf when you are sick. They are not days to use however you want.   Calling in sick with a hangover doesn't affect productivity? Seriously? You mean not being at work because you decided to have too much fun last night...that doesn't affect productivity? Hmm, see ya, I'm going shopping!
  
  I don't think there are any "HR folks" here by the way. Just me and I've never worked in an "HR" capacity other than staffing.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  I've only had a few hangovers, but they definitely crossed over into the "very sick" category--no details required, I hope.  I couldn't have gone to work if someone had dangled a bonus in front of me.   Why don't workplaces all adopt the "Paid Time Off" plan where you get a number of days per year, and you can use them for whatever you want--holidays, personal days, sick days.  Once they're used up, they're gone, but while you have them they're yours to take advantage of for whatever reason you choose...including no reason at all!

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  Well, Heather, using your argument about sick days affecting productivity, it can be said that even vacation and personal time off affect productivity. Here, I am talking about the overall effect of absence on productivity in a particular year, not just one measly day.
  
  Even vacation days cost companies money. Unused vacation can be encashed. Just as there is a limit to any benefit, sick days also have limits. Beyond such limits, one can say that productivity is visibly affected. I believe that most companies (specially service businesses) factor in vacation days, personal time off and sick days when forecasting output.
  
  Most large companies offer short-term or long-term disability benefits. Obviously, you cannot use hangover or alcoholism as reasons for availing the benefits.
  
  If a company offers the sick days benefit, I have seen most people take it. They can just call in or e-mail and say, "I am calling in sick today," without even disclosing what the nature of sickness is (I could just be plain tired and need some rest). Most bosses I know are ok with it.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  Acceptable = no
  Firing offence = not typically
  
  When it comes to the stage that you've got a hangover and should be at work in the next 15 minutes, yes, pick up the phone and call in until you have your right mind on you.
  
  If you're not able to concentrate on the job you are bound to mess up and make more work for yourself and possibly your colleagues.
  
  However, in most cases you should expect a thorough kickin' from your boss when you waltz through the door for drinking heavily on a school night.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  This is an interesting question with possibly no one correct answer. It points to some of the reasoning that some companies are moving toward having one bucket of time off, and employees can use it however they want, for sick, for vacation, etc.
  
  It is probably a personal judgment thing, determining what to call a hangover day.
  
  From a pragmatic standpoint, this is rule that most companies are okay with not defining, because it is difficult and labor intensive to enforce.
  
  Signed,
  an "HR folk"
  

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  To understand if a hangover is justifiable as a sick day, we need to understand the purpose of having sick days:
  
  1) Is it because the individual’s capacity for work will suffer greatly, therefore they best take it off? An act of goodwill shown by the company?
  2) Is it for the group, so that they don’t get sick as well, or their own work is effected by being exposed to someone who looks and acts miserable?
  3) Is it to shorten individual’s recovery time, so that they get back to normal performance sooner, thereby increasing their performance in the long run?
  
  I believe the last two are justified reasons for taking a sick day. In the first case, they are still producing, although not as efficiently, so it is wise to keep them working if such work doesn’t increase the time it takes to recover and doesn’t make the individual feel anything negative about the company.  
  
  Now let’s throw the effects of hangovers into the mix. Hangovers effect performance (#1) and they effect the work environment/appearance (#2). So there is your justification for hangovers being an excuse to take a sick day.
  
  But there is more to consider... a sick day is an unscheduled day off from work: unplanned and unavoidable. Hangovers are easily avoidable, which means they shouldn’t qualify as a sick day. Then again, lots of legitimate sicknesses are avoidable. Do you force an employee to come to work because he or she was wearing summer clothes in the middle of winter, thereby bringing on their sickness?
  
  Do you assign a weighting to such situations? “If you have on at least medium warmth clothes and catch a cold, you can take it off as a sick day” or “If you drink 6 glasses of wine and get a hangover when it usually takes 8 glasses, you take off as a sick day”
  
  In the end, there are so many factors that need to be considered, it is easier to make a generalized rule, even though it is not going to be the right in every case. It is easier to give employees the benefit of the doubt, which gives some goodwill to them. Therefore I believe hangovers should be a legitimate sick day. The company just has to hope that its goodwill isn't abused.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  I once worked for a startup, where boozing was very much part of the culture. People would hold impromptu happy hours any day of the week and charge it to the company. One time we went to a baseball game, stayed out til 6 am, and had a mandatory staff meeting at 10 am. Needless to say people rolled in wearing baseball hats, and sunglasses. Wasnt a productive meeting. Some called in sick feeling too hungover. Looking back I think this was a poor management decsion to allow such behavior.

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  anon-squared, I bet that once you allow or condone (or sponsor) something like that, it's hard to call for general workplace decorum. I wonder how many three martini lunches took place after that?

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
  anon-squared...don't you remember the first rule of lunch club? You don't talk about lunch club.
  
  : )

• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 22, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 23, 2006
  Kristen- i'm with you. great to hear it from the perspective of a company owner.
  
  anon- agreed!
  
  anon-squared...he might get Angelina to do it!

• Anonymous
  February 23, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 23, 2006
  Josh-interesting. I've never had a job where I wasn't responsible for getting something done every day. I guess my thought was that if I was getting paid for the day, then even if things were slow, I was responsible for getting stuff done. But I guess there could be jobs where you have days where you don't have anything to do. I don't want one of those jobs, but I guess they exist ; )
  
  

• Anonymous
  February 26, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 26, 2006
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• Anonymous
  February 27, 2006
  Adam- I think vacation days are for all those things. I watch the weather reports to know when those things are coming (the "solar days" at least) and plan the approriare vacation time. I'm a big fan of using vacation days to hang out at home (this year, I am up to 4 weeks vacation and it's hard for me to take more than 2 weeks a year tops).
  
  Now if you have flexible work time like that, I say use it how yuo want as long as you are coming in and getting the work done. When my insomnia is causing problems, I'll go in late and stay later and it works out great.
  
  I'm not going to say anything about the same clothes thing ; )

• Anonymous
  March 04, 2006
  I used to never get sick, until I got a family and kids.  Now being sick (or needing to be home because someone else is sick) is a pretty common occurrence.

• Anonymous
  March 16, 2007
  I would "save" my sick time for when I really need it.

• Anonymous
  June 26, 2009
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