Episode 62 | Sick Days, Sad Days, Salon Days, Oh My!

Question

Hi Work Wives, it's Ruby from Syracuse, New York. I have to ask: do you take mental health days from work? How often? And how do you not feel guilty about it? Since my vacation time and sick time are separate, I've accrued a hundred-plus hours of sick time. I literally have never called in sick to a job, ever. I planned a quote-unquote mental health day for personal appointment (not medical), and I'm already feeling weird about it. Can I just text my boss and say I'm not feeling well and won't be online? We have a rotating one day a week in office schedule, so I'm worried about freaking out my coworkers if I call in sick Monday. I'm supposed to be in office Wednesday. What do I do about this?

Summary

Your sick days are *yours*. You’ve earned them and you do not need to be asking permission to take them, nor defending what you do with them.

So learn the phrase, “I’m taking the day,” and do whatever you want with your sick days.

Got a question for Ask Your Work Wife?

Record your question and email us the recording. Include your name, your city if you want, and whatever context might be helpful for us to know. And don’t forget to start with “Hey, Work Wives!”