Sometimes you just can’t make it to work. You may wake up a little sick, have a family emergency, a personal situation or just need a day to rest and recharge. Knowing how to properly call out of work can help you effectively communicate your absence and maintain a good relationship with your boss.
If you don’t take time off that often it is completely normal to feel bad about calling off work, but it is a normal part of working life. The trick is to inform your employer as soon as possible, follow your company’s absence policy, and give the details you need to without oversharing about your situation.
This manual will help you learn how to call off work, what to say to your manager, when to call your employer and how to handle a variety of situations professionally.
To Call Off Work Means To Cancel Work, Or Not Go To Work
A call-off is telling your employer you won’t be able to make it in for your scheduled shift or regular workday. This may be because of illness, an unforeseen emergency, a family responsibility or some other valid personal reason.
It is contingent upon your workplace how you do it. Some employers expect a phone call, but others may be just as happy with an email, a text or a notice through an employee scheduling app.
Check your company's policy before contacting your manager to make sure you know the right way. Follow the process and you can avoid misinterpretations and look professional.
Call in the Pros
How to Call Out Sick Without Being Unprofessional
1. Notify your employer as soon as practicable
If you are unable to report to work, please contact your supervisor as soon as possible. Giving the team advance notice allows them to adjust schedules, arrange coverage or reallocate responsibilities if needed.
If you have a fever, call your manager before you come in for your shift. “Don’t leave it ’til the last minute.
If your company has an attendance line, call that and don't message a single co-worker.
2. Be Direct and Clear With Your Words
You don’t need to explain. As a rule a brief polite note indicating you will not be in and for how long you expect to be away is sufficient.
For example:
I'm not feeling well today so I won't be able to come to work. If anything changes with me, I’ll let you know. Thanks for your understanding.
This message includes required information, but no personal information.
3. Explain your reason immediately
Keep it real. Maybe you have an illness, or a family emergency, or something in your personal life. Get out of class, but don't lie and say you're sick or something.
You can tell the truth and be anonymous. You can simply say that you have “a personal matter that needs your attention” without going into the details of the situation.
4. Adhere to the leave policies of your company
Depending on your workplace, you may need to formally request leave, provide documentation as required, or enter your absence in a human resources system.
Check the relevant policy and follow any required procedures. If you are unsure if you should take sick leave, personal leave or another type of leave that is available, ask your manager or HR representative.
5. Tell them straight away what the job is
If there is a big deadline or meeting coming up, let us know of anything that needs attention urgently.
A task may be saved in a shared folder, for example, or a colleague may have the latest update on the project. But if you are really sick, take care of yourself and don't feel like you have to work through your absence.
Top Reasons To Call In Sick
There are many good reasons an employee might miss a scheduled shift. Some of the most common examples are:
Sickness: Fever, flu-like symptoms, migraine or other illness that makes it difficult to work.
Medical appointments: appointments for medical care which cannot reasonably be scheduled outside of working hours.
Family Emergencies: Unforeseen issues with a child, partner, parent, or other family member.
Mental health needs: If stress, fatigue or emotional challenges affect your well-being, take the appropriate leave of absence.
Personal emergencies: Family problems or other situations that require immediate action.
Bereavement: Time after the death of a family member or someone you love.
The amount of paid leave you can take, the paperwork you will need to provide and the protections you may be entitled to will depend on your employer’s policies and the employment laws that apply to you.
What To Say To Call in Sick: Sample Expressions?
The best message is dependent upon your situation and your work place's preferred communication style.
Calling in sick to work “Hi [Manager’s Name], I’m not feeling well today and won’t be able to make it in for my shift. I will follow company procedure regarding an absence and will let you know if I need any further time off. Thank you for understanding.
Sick day for a family emergency Hello [Name of Manager], I have an emergency at home and I can't make it into work today. I'll tell you when I'm free. “Thanks for being patient.”
Taking a Personal Day from Work Dear [Manager’s Name], I am writing to let you know that I will be taking the day off today due to a personal matter that needs my immediate attention. I just wanted to see if there is anything I need to do with the formal leave process.
Last Minute Call Off Work Hi [Manager’s Name], Sorry for the short notice but I have run into an unexpected situation and will not be able to make it to work today. I will inform you as soon as I am able and will follow the correct procedure for absence.”
You can tailor these examples to your workplace, your style of communication, and your own situation.
To Call Your Boss or Not to Call? Texting your boss? Mail Your Boss?
It is contingent upon your employer policy and how urgent the situation is.
If you’re working shifts in healthcare, retail or anywhere you have to be told in person, you may have to make a phone call. If your manager allows texting for absences, then texting is okay. Email is good in an office setting where people want things in writing.
If your company policy is to call when you are going to start your shift, don’t just send an email that may not be read in time.
When you can satisfy your notification and other reporting obligations.
“Don’t say that at sick call.”
Your professional out of office message should be polite and clear. The most common errors are
Waiting for your shift to start when you could have told your manager earlier
Long and useless explanation.
Giving them a motive that could harm your credibility.
If company policy requires a phone call, a text will be enough.
Telling yourself you'll be back tomorrow when you don't know if you will.
Not following up on your needs. Or not telling your boss that you are away.
When you are actually on leave you can be nice to your team guilt free.
Last Thoughts
“Knowing how to call in makes a sticky situation that much easier to handle.” If you’re sick, have a family emergency or some unexpected personal responsibility, the best thing you can do is tell your employer as soon as you can, be honest in your communications and follow the workplace’s procedures.
You don’t have to go through the whole personal stuff to explain why you were absent.” Usually you start a conversation with a nice, direct message.
Taking time off, if necessary, can help you protect your health, meet personal responsibilities, and come back to work ready to do your job.
