Is it time we reviewed our ‘Calling in Sick’ protocol?

Thank you ​@Aaron Windrum for posting about this. I have to admit, I didn’t realise there were workplaces that still required calls for absences - xcuse my naiveté here! 😅

It’s quite astonishing actually, particularly because, as you say, it very directly comes from a place of mistrust. Any policy or requirement that “discourages” taking sick leave is borderline draconian!

I’d love to hear from some of our thoughtful community members on this one!

​@SabbuSchreiber ​@nina.johansson ​@HRJoy ​@HRHappiness ​@fmason ​@SalC ​@brittbosma ​@MarinaS ​@LegoMD ​@damayantichowdhury09 ​@YHilal ​@JHBEM ​@Larissa Horst ​@wissbegierig 

We switched to ‘messaging’ quite a few years ago and actually it meant that we had a much better handle on both who was off and why because the communication from the call that the manager took in the car on the way in often didn't make it to us or the HR system!!

We ask our people to cc HR in, which doesn't always happen, but we have more of a fighting chance this way. As you say ​@Aaron Windrum it also ties in with how people operate these days and that we can follow up and keep in touch much more easily with the person who is absent.

I believe it is a move away from that paternalistic approach and allows people to manage their own time effectively based on their determination of their own needs.

Thankfully it eliminates the need to speak to people who are not well enough to talk or those who are making the bad throat sound sooooo much worse!

Whilst we are on it - what would be really great would be if we could edit the comments in the sick days tab in Personio.  The way sickness often works is cumulative or progressive as per the below.

• Day 1 - i just dont feel right
• Day 2 - high temps
• Day 3 - got a covid positive result

In Personio, if you want to change the comments you have to delete the absence and re-enter it to update with the different or progressive comments. Editing only works on the dates...one for you ​@Moe 

Fiona

I think it really depends on the type of job and setup.

When I was working in hospitality I was always glad if someone phoned in sick. I was not constantly checking emails or messages while being on the floor, serving guests, or running a busy shift. Especially in shift work where one person might be the only one responsible for opening or closing, a quick call was the most reliable way to make sure I actually got the message in time. For me it was never about control but simply about having enough time to plan around it and avoid leaving the rest of the team hanging.

Now that I am in a fully digital company things look very different. Nobody is expected to literally call in sick. A simple email to the supervisor and People team is perfectly fine and usually does the job. When I was sick on days where I had a big role in meetings I just made sure to reach out directly to the relevant people so nothing slipped through the cracks. To me, a quick notification is part of teamwork and keeps things running smoothly.

So yes, I agree we have outgrown the blanket “must call your manager” rule, but context really matters. In some environments a call is still the fastest and most reliable option, in others written communication is more than enough. What counts is that managers and teams are notified in time so they can adapt.

Curious how others balance efficiency and employee wellbeing in their absence policies. 😊

I agree ​@Aaron Windrum, phone calls really aren’t necessary anymore. As long as the business (HR or line manager) is notified and given the required information, any form of communication should do.

The benefit of a phone call is that you can prompt for the required information (e.g., absence reason, how long they might be off, any tasks or deadlines at risk due to their absence). My personal preference is for all to notify via their HRIS - logging the absence, entering information in the notes section, uploading any documents, etc. - because that would capture all the data you need, and notifies both HR and line managers at the same time. It’s more efficient and reduced duplication of effort. However, in my experience, staff don’t always give the information you need and might just log the absence, so you’ll have to go back and prompt for it anyway.

If the sickness absences are discouraged and the procedure is too onerous or scary, I fear it would create presenteeism whereby individuals don’t log absences as they should or take the time off that they need. This also means that absence data isn’t captured accurately and won’t reflect the reality, which means you won’t know if or where there’s a problem.

The only things that prevents sickness absence are vaccines, ample rest and a healthy lifestyle. Beyond that, you have to accept that people will get sick as part of life. There’s no point thinking an absence isn’t real or that everyone is a liar, because that will just create a toxic work environment. Any misuse of sick leave will show eventually anyway and can be dealt with by following the correct procedures.

Phone call or no phone call, I’d focus on creating a good employee experience with a comprehensive but smooth process that fits the organisation and the culture so that staff feel capable and comfortable to be open and honest about their health. That way, organisations can give the appropriate support when needed to help their staff be healthy, happy and productive.

I work for a company with many young people and expats. We still require employees to call in sick, and in my opinion, this will not change.

Sending a quick message sets the bar very low. Think about it: everyone has those mornings where you wake up feeling “meh.” It’s easy to just send a short message to your manager saying you’re sick. But when you actually have to make a call, the threshold feels higher - you start asking yourself whether you’re really sick, or if you just need a bit more time to start your day.

For the new generation, messaging may feel more natural, but we want to avoid having too many employees on unnecessary sick leave. (e.g. we offer 2 ‘reload’ days per year, an extra vacation day that you can take more spontaneously on the days you feel ‘meh’) 

That’s why we encourage our managers to have a real conversation with their employees - to check in on how they’re truly doing and what’s going on.

A phone call is also an efficient way to quickly cover the practicalities:

• When do you think you’ll be back?

• Do I need to take over any work from you?

• Do I need to inform other people?

• When will our next check-in be?

• Is there anything else I should know?

I don’t believe the phone call is outdated, it’s still necessary!

​@brittbosma Thanks for your comments, I am of a different opinion.

In my personal experience, on the very rare occasions that I was sick and needed to inform my manager, the last thing I wanted to do was talk to my manager and anyone else for that matter. The policy may say that a telephone call is mandatory, but in practice many people may not be following it, which could then indicate that the policy is out of date and/or doesn’t reflect the actual practices happening throughout the organisation.

I see no reason why all of the further questions you mention can’t be answered via messages or over a call following initial notification, when the person is feeling better and up to a discussion. I don’t believe that a conversation over the phone to notify is necessary or required.

Interesting that you mention that having the telephone calls only policy to notify can deter absence when someone wakes up feeling a bit meh, that seems to be the main reason I’ve seen for why the practice is retained which also links in to what I mentioned in the original post.

I am of the belief that having set standards for attendance in a policy and managing absence levels when triggers are breached works better and is more modern.

Thanks again for your contribution to the discussion.