If you called in sick off from work can your employer ask you what's wrong or why are you calling in?

Question

I have a friend that works for a government sector and he said he called into work today and told his supervisor that he wasn't feeling well. The supervisor asked him why was he not coming in and he got offended and felt violated that she would ask him why when he already told her he wasn't feeling good. He told her he just got off the toliet and she said ok well you have to go to the doctor and get an excuse. He said he shouldn't have to go to the doctor just because he has the runs and that he just needed to get some rest for today. She said she will mark him as "A Wall" if he doesn't have an excuse when he comes back tomorrow.

He never takes off work and has perfect attendance. He says this happens to everyone there. He asked me if I think this is a violation of his privacy because he shouldn't have to tell her why he doesn't feel well because that is his business. I agreed and I tried to find some info on the internet about employees privacy but I was not successful.

Answer 1

An employer may ask, but you are under no legal obligation to tell them. In fact, you only have to say you are calling out of work.

However, they do have the right to terminate your employment for calling out too much.

Just as you rely on your employer to give you a paycheck, they rely on you to be at work.

But a great employer will understand that sometimes people have bad days for whatever reason, and understand. This increases loyalty and production in the long run because it makes the employee happy to know that his/her employer cares about them.

But an employer who berates you for calling out once or twice is someone I don't htink I would work for. You might consider telling your freind to seek another job or request a transfer, or file a complaint with his supervisor. But beware the reprucussions! There are always some.

Answer 2

As long as he is not singeld out then it is perfectly ok for an employer to ask that you get a doctors note as long as the employer is paying the medical insurance and all employees are required to obatin a doctors note before returning to work. If not they can't because not everyone can afford to see a doctor and that would be discrimination.

If the company is willing to pay for the doctors visit then they can ask that you have a doctors note in order to return to work.

I would tell your friend to make an apointment and tell the doctors office to take their time and a week or so would be ok to set the apointment. Then call the employer and tell them that is the soonest apointment they have but that he will get it done and see them in a couple of weeks. Cheers!!

Answer 3

There was a new boss who seemed to threaten me by saying "if u want to stay on my good side, don't take off."
I told him he is not intimidating and I have worked for bigger jerks. Then I added "why does the company give us sick days?"
If I were your friend, I'd call the HR dept now, and say "I called in sick at the proper time (early), because I seem to have the stomach flu. I talked directly to my boss, and was told I need a doctor's note? They will tell him, THEN if it gets back to your boss that he called, just say "I didn't want to upset you anymore by not following company policy." OR say "Since I didn't know the policy, I wanted to get it directly from HR so I protected myself because you seemed pretty upset." Then I would definitely add "now you know it too. (TELL HER) If you are ever sick, be sure to bring a note to your boss." or "I was surprised to hear that you don't need a note. I guess they expect humans get sick sometimes. ADD FOR HIS OWN FUN "Do you know I found out that I have accumulated (true number) of sick days because I am almost always here? I should get some attendance award."
As awkward as it would be, I would call HR. You have to proect yourself, especially from dictators. BUT DO NOT complain about your boss, just say "she's probably right, but I want to find out if the policy changed at all"
REMEMBER HR people are SNEAKY JERKS!!! NEVER EVER confide in them unless you were sexually harassed or something!!
I feel sorry for your friend, because I have had experiences like that. In the LONG RUN, the boss will respect your friend's intelligence for not just taking her word for it (policy) and will get the message that he is not going to be pushed around, and WILL go to other people if needed.
I would stop this before it gets to the point where she thinks she can just walk over him!
Good Luck!

Answer 4

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If you are non union and or have no contract, you can be fired in a lot of states for looking wrong. Call and ask what is going on and try to explain your side of the story. Sorry, join a union and or get a written employment agreement spelling out your rights if possible or you work at their will. Peace.

Answer 5

I work for the federal government. Our policy is you can be out 3 days without having a doctor's note.

Sick days are for being sick. or going shopping and getting pedicures. But still, they are HIS days to use. He earns them and he can use them for pretty much whatever he wants.

If my boss decided to ask me something, I'd make up a long drawn out story about being on the all apple diet and 'you know how apple sauce is given to constipated babies? Well there's a reason, I ate an entire bag of them now i can't stay off the toilet'

He should check with his Bureau HR department. He does really does not need to tell her why he is off sick.

Answer 6

Sorry, but your employer has every right to question your absence. That's a no brainer. Now if the employer starts harassing and demanding the employee come into work, then that is grounds for a law action.

Answer 7

I also work for the government, and your darn right they have the right to ask what is wrong and they can terminate you if you don't provide a doctors excuse. Also, you can miss alot of work with a doctors excuse and by law they can do anything about it. I suggest he gets the doctor's excuse.

Answer 8

employer has the right to expect employee to address illness and require docotrs note,this is a social norm expected from one in the role of the sick status and this is a norm ,call the labor board for your state ,they will verify this

Answer 9

It all depends on what the policy of his employer is...if the policy (written and communicated to your friend) is that they require a doctor note, then they require a doctor note...if not, then it is likely that he can get the AWOL classification overturned...good luck

Answer 10

Of course.