would you text in sick to work?

I am self employed, but if my employees texted in sick, I would tell them to phone in future. (After first posting on here questions about what is wrong with everyone, and is texting in sick acceptable, and why can't anyone behave properly any more, obviously)

L
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Actually I did this morning! I left early yesterday, feeling really really grim, and sent my opposite number a text this morning saying I wouldn't be in. If it was unexpected I would definitely have called though.

I have in the past text a colleague to say I wouldn't be in, but that was to give her a heads up and get in earlier. I then called at 9am and explained.

It's quite common for people here to email though. The guys live by their blackberry's so I've often come into the office to find a "won't be in" email in my inbox.

Nope but I have done it via e-mail. Means I can make sure people who may need me know I'm out and when I'll be checking my blackberry.

In my last little spell of doing something for somebody else, it was the favoured method of reporting sick.

Meant that there was a 'hard' copy on the duty mobile.

No, I would even consider it tbh

I know somebody who did this and received a formal warning for it so no, I don't think I would.

As SophieM said it it was an unexpected absence I'd always call. However last year I was off work for a week, clearly went back too soon and got sent home again, and then because I'd been off a week already had to be signed off, and I just dropped my boss an email at that point to say I'd been signed off for 2 weeks and would send in the line.

I am sure it doesn't apply to anyone here but in cases I've advised employers on text messaging seems to be just a very easy way for skivers to go off sick, as they can do it without being challenged or having to speak to anyone. It's the modern equivalent of getting your mum to phone in sick for you. And I think you'll find it's probably contrary to a lot of employer's absence reporting procedures, many of which are likely to say that you must call personally by a certain time.

We are supposed to call in at 9am to say if we are not coming into work. A number of us usually start at 8am though as we do flexitime so people often text me at 8 to say they wont be in and will then phone at 9am once reception has opened to chat. It stops us wondering where people are for the hour.

If they only sent a text I would be a bit annoyed but it depends if they know what they are supposed to do in the situation.

It would totally depend on the culture in the office. I'd lean towards not, but it's hardly an out and out sacking offence (in most cases).

We are told to text at our place. Mainly as we work shifts and whilst our skipper always has his phone on, if we were calling in sick for a 6am start and he didn't start til 6pm, then I am sure he would be a bit annoyed.

I would much rather phone to be honest. It's much easier to fake an illness via text!

We often do here if we're delayed, or sick - but we tend to text the entire team and it's early in the morning before anyone would be in work.

If there's a sickness issue, then yes, we'd follow it up with a phonecall later that morning to let everyone know what's going on.

Not for the first episode of illness, but when I was repeatedly off sick (pregnancy related) my boss and I found it easy for me just to send a quick "and I'm still chucking up today too" text.

For an initial bout it screams 'sciving off' to me

No, I would phone, - unless it was considered an acceptable practice in the work place (it wouldnt be in mine)!

Just think it seems more courteous to speak to someone in person.

My saturday girl texts me but then she never has credit on her phone to make a call as its more expensive

i prefer her to text tbh as i am not a lover of talking on the phone unless i have to , but then when i do i dont shut up ?

WSS. At my current place of work, our dept generally text/email each other if we're not going to be in, but at places I've worked before it's not been the done thing before. If I was new somewhere and didn't know if it was the usual thing to text, I would always phone though.

I would always phone, and before my job role changed slightly, we were expected to phone as early as possible (ie 7am) to give my manager time to find someone else to do my job - as a trainer it can be costly to the business if you have to send 12 people home becuase their trainer phoned in sick. However, between Christmas & New Year, I was due to go to work, but had a rotten cold, so I didn't go in. I didn't phone anyone either as all the managers were on holiday & I was the only one due to be in at my office.

When I was a manager, there were always the same few people who would 'try it on' and take more sick days that their colleagues. Because of this, I insisted that everyone should phone me when they were too ill to come into work.

I'm the manager of a small team and have told my team that they can text me the night before if they think they may not be in, and also I don't mind them texting in the morning to say they won't be in. TBH skiving isn't an issue with my team, they're all dedicated hard workers and we have a system whereby if you want a day off you can take a 'duvet day' (covered by annual / flexi leave). Also I usually know if they're feeling rough in work. I've also in the past sent a text to say I won't be in when I've just felt far too rough to call, but have usually called later. It works for my small team but I can completely see how it wouldn't in other teams.

Can I work at your place Diefenbaker??! Sounds like a good and understanding, place to work.

I would normally phone, but I have texted on occasion. We were expected to text at least an hour before we were due to come in, which was 8.30am. I only had to let my immediate boss know I wasn't going to be in and she would be at the child minders at 7.30am dropping off her children. She was fine with it though.

I think it depends on your organisation. I have known some places that were fine with people texting and others that weren't. I would normally phone my boss, but I would happily text other colleagues to let them know I wasn't coming.

Our boss has issued an official document which states that we have to call his mobile between 6:30-7:30am on the day we are sick, voice message is acceptable - text is most certainly unacceptable.

He has also specified that we must call in personally unless we literally cannot get to a phone.

I am quite intimidated by him anyway, so would have to be pretty bad to stay off I think ? I've been there 2 years and had one day off with food poisoning.

Our place states in the managing attendance policy that texting into work for sickness is unaccaptable and you must (or someone on your behalf) ring in.

I suspect some people text in as well as phone - texting their immediate boss before 8.30 to give them a heads up.

Our protocol for sickness actually expects us to text in sick and text our colleagues to find cover ourselves. I prefer to phone my boss instead which annoys her but how do I know she has got my text ?

In previous jobs we have had to phone in ourselves to say we are ill - family members were not able to do it for us.

My boss doesn't sort our holidays out either, we have to find our own cover and if we can't cover the whole time we can't have it. I have a crap boss.

My assistant frequently uses text to let me know if she is going to be off sick or late in and I am happy to accept that as notification.

In 6 years I have never called in sick, prefering to email and sometimes H emails on my behalf as he works at the same company.

I dont see the problem to be honest, we are adults and I trust all of my team and know them well enough to know if they are unwell or pulling a sicky, luckily I have never had any reason to feel that someone was taking the piss.

Meh. I'll give it twelve months and we'll all be just updating our Facebook status to let our colleague know we're not coming into work ?

As long as we don't update a bit later, talking about the good day's shopping/ binge drinking spree we went on !

I've texted to say that I'll be late - but would prefer to phone in sick (as I may well end up doing tomorrow)

Its our firm's policy to email or phone HR by 9am. I would usually email HR (for some strange reason even if I know there is no way I will be well enough to go in the next day I feel I should always set my alarm for the normal time so that I email at 7.30/8 so that they think I have attempted to get up for work!) and then text a colleague to warn them so they don't wonder where I am as sometimes it takes a while for the message to filter through from HR to my boss and head of team then to my colleagues who will be covering me.

Text wouldn't be acceptable at our place as HR have to be informed rather than your immediate boss.

No i'd always phone the office if i was too sick to come to work (something which happens very very rarely fortunately). My boss however tends to either email me or text. Also if she's running late cos of her kids or traffic or anything she'll send me a text so i know she's on her way and not to panic that she's forgotten Court/clients or whatever.

I'd not do it the other way round though, I suppose the difference is that she's a partner and self employed so can pretty much choose her hours to suit.

My office-mate texts me if she's going to be late or off sick - it's the most efficient way of getting a message through to me even when I'm in a meeting or screening. I've never had a problem with it.

In fact, I usually text something back to the effect that she's fired and she can pick up a bin liner of her stuff at reception. She then sends a smiley back.

But we get on well, so I suspect this might not work in every workplace.

As we have a no mobile policy at work, reporting in sick via SMS is not an option. Anyway, I prefer to ring in to make sure that somebody gets the message than rely on my boss having his mobile switched on.

Depends on the environment.

At my last company I would call, but on the odd occasion I wouldn't get someone, I would email my main co-worker (no direct team leader as such) and advise I was ill and asked him to call me when he was available.

This company however appear to be a strcitly call in environment, so wouldn't do anything else.

We had a few colleagues who would regularly be 'sick' but to cut down on work abscences policy is now to phone in and speak to boss personally. No leaving messages with other work colleagues or getting your partner to ring in for you unless you really are unable to come to the phone. A return to work interview is also done for all abscences.