Calling out in advance

I work as an aide in a nursing home. I have had some sort of stomach bug since this morning, and I am scheduled to work the evening shift tomorrow night. I have a history of this sort of thing, and I'm sure it won't be gone by tomorrow, so I called in this evening, trying to be nice and give them as much time as possible to find someone to cover for me. The staffing coordinator told me that they don't accept call-ins this far in advance and that I REALLY need to show up tomorrow.

Um, what? I was trying to do a nice thing by giving them ample time to call someone in. Instead she now thinks I'm faking. Did I do the wrong thing? I debated waiting until tomorrow but I'm honestly positive I'm going to still feel crappy tomorrow and I'd rather take a day off and get better than work through it and do a poor job taking care of my patients and be sick for longer.
Always wait until the day in question to call in. They think there is always the possibility, probability as far as they're concerned, that you will feel better after a night's rest.

Did you tell them why you were calling out? If someone called out a day early and said it was for a stomach bug, I could imagine why they'd be a little skeptical and/or want to wait and see how you feel closer to your shift.Just call back tomorrow and tell them (guess what?) you're still sick - if you are. You might want to take a good look at your facility's absence policy - if you need a physician's note, make sure you get one. Someone in staffing who thinks you're faking (or has a grudge against you because you created extra work for them) can cause a lot of trouble. That's too bad that you're trying to be respectful of your coworkers and not leave them shorthanded and yet you get treated like a liar and then have to stress about this on top of not feeling well. I hate the "staffing guilt-trip." From now on (if this isn't what you did already), when you need to call out just call the day of your shift and tell them you're sorry, but you're unable to make it that day. If they push for a reason, tell them that you don't want to discuss it, and you'll see them (next day you're scheduled to work).I hope you get better quickly!

Our hospital has a policy that if you have been having vomiting/diarrhea you have to be symtom free fro 48 hours before returning to work. And I would match rather have a sick call that evening before rather than 6 in the morning!

hi Pepper the cat !!! i agree with you 100%

wish it were like that everywhere!

Yeah, I do, too! I'm feeling a bit better today and I guess I'm just going to go in. I'll just make a point to let her know that I'm still not feeling 100% but I came in because she told me I needed to.

I think you just proved the point as to why you want to wait until the day of to call. Your manager is going to think the same thing. You're feeling up to working today, so calling in wasn't necessary at all. I think it's impossible to know *for sure* no matter what is wrong, and it looks bad, IMO, to call that far in advance. We have people do that once in a while, and EVERYONE is always skeptical when it happens.

What I'm saying is that I don't think I would go in today if she hadn't basically said yesterday that I HAVE to be there today. I still DON'T feel good but the way she treated me made me feel like I have to go or I'm going to get into trouble. Which is just ridiculous, because I don't feel good today, just like yesterday. I also don't want to lose my job...

Honestly, and I'm not trying to be harsh, but if you feel good ENOUGH to work, then you should be there. If you're truly too sick to be able to perform your job, then you call in. It wouldn't matter WHAT she said yesterday, if you can't, you can't. If it could go either way, then you work. If you get X number of sick days a year or whatever, and you have not exceeded those, it doesn't matter if she says you "have" to or not. She can't decide for you. Where I work, you can call in for any reason at all, as long as it's not more than a certain number of days. They can't deny you a sick day. The fact that you are going anyway leads me to believe you're not sick enough not to. I say this because that's what your manager is going to be thinking, too.

No, you are correct. I'm more frustrated with the system that is putting me in the situation of trying to figure out what to do in the first place.

Quote from MissChloeNo, you are correct. I'm more frustrated with the system that is putting me in the situation of trying to figure out what to do in the first place.

Quote from cherrybreezeCalling in the day of is much more credible, IMO.