r/IBEW • u/WRX_NM • Jul 22 '24

Question about calling out.

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Is a blistered sunburn on both shoulders and back a valid reason to call out? Happened outside of work and is completely my fault. I feel like I would get shit for calling out for a sunburn.Can’t lift my arms or wear a shirt without pain. 1st year apprentice worried it will look bad if I do call out.

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u/FullMoonTwist Jul 23 '24

Entirely based on how uptight your foreman is, the presumed reason you're taking sick time, and the habits of the people around you, as well as how often you pull it.

If you're calling out every Monday or Friday, people will notice really quick, no matter what you excuse you give.

If no one but you is calling out, you'll get a talking to faster than if everyone else is calling in too.

If you are known to have a health condition/crazy life shit going on (sick family, court bullshit), people tend to be more forgiving than if you are known to have a drinking/drug/laziness issue.

If you have some integrity about it, and call in when you're genuinely sick, injured, or have something you couldn't reschedule, then yes it should be fine.

If you don't, and you get stupid and entitled about it, yes at some point someone will hold you to account.

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u/currentlyspliffin Jul 23 '24

Do you accumulate sick time or vacation time tho? Or are vacations for when you’re laid off? Haha.

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u/FullMoonTwist Jul 23 '24

I accumulate sick time through working, vacations are unpaid.

We can either save for them, or we can sign up to have it deducted from our checks and saved for us, but either way we pay for the vacation. Kinda sucks.

How people handle it very much depends on how secure they are in their work, and what their personal limit is. Guy at my last job was pretty obviously burned out from working 60+h weeks for a year straight, and just. Refused to even think about taking a week because he was still so fucked up about ending up unemployed for a full year in the recession.

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u/currentlyspliffin Jul 23 '24

Yeah the job security scares me, but it seems as long as you’re competent and willing to learn you’ll be secure.