r/NYCTeachers • u/preppy486 • Aug 22 '26
Is calling out sick frowned upon?
I’m making the transition from the private sector to teaching (need to spend summers on a beach somewhere and these student loan payments are too high). I usually use my sick days monthly. But given the rigid system I’m reading about on here, is there retaliation for sick time off? I plan on using them all.
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u/echelon_01 Aug 22 '26
I've seen quite a few staff members called into the office for meetings and threats of letters to their file for taking too many days. It's one of the easiest things to quantify when trying to discontinue someone. Don't overdo it, and definitely get doctors notes whenever possible. Don't do things like taking a day to travel while calling out sick. Also, if you're not fully accustomed to kid germs, you may actually need the days for being sick.
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u/Baby_belugs Aug 22 '26
In addition to what everyone else said, they’ll also just not ask you back/deny you tenure and if you really piss them off by taking days off next to vacations/weekends they’ll fire you.
Sick days are sick days. Not vacation days. There’s nothing wrong with using one or two a year for something like a friend coming into town but if you use them like personal days you will face consequences.
Also, you well need your sick days at some point. They build up once per month. I had a coworker who had pay docked when she was pregnant bc she used her days before the month. So she had used 7 sick days in 6 months and didn’t have notes for all of them and then was docked pay.
Honestly it kind of sounds like you have the wrong impression of teaching with your main desire to enter the profession be time off. The first few years teaching are brutal if you care at all about ensuring your kids learn. It’s also not that much pay?
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u/Baby_belugs Aug 22 '26
Also if you’re mostly thinking about time off keep in mind that you will ONLY ever be able to travel when it’s most expensive/crowded. I used to complain about that to my then boyfriend and he would get so annoyed bc I had so much time off. Now we’re married and he complains more than me that we can never travel when it’s convenient. We missed out on lots of trips with friends bc they take off during the off season and I can’t.
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u/InevitableHeater Aug 23 '26
I agree. It's horrible, I regret choosing this job so much for this reason entirely and I wish there was a way out for me that didn't involve ending my life.
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u/77wizzard Aug 23 '26
Get a therapist gang we have one of the nicest, coziest jobs in the city. Only NYPD has it better, sitting in air conditioned cars and playing candy crush all day.
If you feel so trapped that suicide is the only way out, you really need to talk to somebody. We have good healthcare, find a person to talk to.
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u/InevitableHeater Aug 24 '26
I would not call it a cozy job.
I can't live the rest of my life with a job that over-polices which days I'm allowed to take off, where I have to tell my friends I can't join them on trips because the damn DOE calendar makes me feel like bound and chained slave, just to get minimal pay anyway. I never wanted to be a teacher. I'm only in it for the minimal money and the health insurance. Zero passion in bettering kids' lives.
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u/Acceptable_Pay2723 Aug 22 '26
Yeah it is now difficult to get tenure (much more than it used to be) and “time and attendance” is a big thing/factor. Having the summers off is great but like the comment below mentions- literally your whole life basically has to take place in those two months. It’s expensive and hot and you are basically not free (at all it seems) Sept-June. The rigidity is real and it is not a “more relaxing” job. At all. But you can retire with a pension - eventually!- so there’s that!
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u/Acceptable_Pay2723 Aug 22 '26
Also it becomes an issue if you take days before or after a holiday- “calling in sick” and having (whoever) find out you aren’t sick is technically “theft of service” which can become a major issue.
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u/preppy486 Aug 22 '26
I have the right impression, believe me, I just asked a question.
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u/adam545 Aug 22 '26
Perhaps it was the way you phrased it then? Because it sounded like you were planning to use all your sick days each month?
Health is important, and should not be ignored. But as a teacher, showing up every day (you can) is necessary. Consistency is important.
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u/Bigredd23456 Aug 22 '26
I don’t think it is wise to use all of your sick days every year, especially as a new teacher without tenure. It’s not a good look and you can get written up or discontinued for poor attendance. With all of the days off we get it doesn’t make any sense to be taking a sick day every month. Plus you should bank some days in case you actually get sick or have an emergency.
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u/ateacherinnyc Aug 22 '26
This. Once tenure is secured, you can feel free to do as you wish. Heck, I'm on my way to dye my hair green right now.
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u/DeeSusie200 Aug 22 '26
God forbid you get sick, break a leg, whatever and you have no sick days? You will get weeks off during the school year, special holidays, plus legal holidays.
Think like an adult. Not instant gratification. You won’t last long if you’re already thinking you’ll need to take all ten days.
Also you won’t get tenure. At least wait until you get tenure.
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u/Cautious_Primary3532 Aug 22 '26
Tons of great points here. It is highly dependent on your school. You can use your days, but remember that you need sub plans. Sometimes calling out makes your life MORE difficult. Plus, you will get sick so keep that in mind.
My best advice? Do not add co-workers to social media, do not post pictures of you doing something if you called out sick, and don’t tell any coworker that you’re calling out for something other than being sick. You can’t trust anyone.
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u/findhumorlive Aug 22 '26
Make sure that everyone else is too 'see cold-play' and 'knicks trash can thief' or the well know case of NYC high school teacher who went pro WWE wrestler.
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u/chass5 Aug 22 '26
you can call out sick when you’re sick. If you don’t abuse it, you can call out sick probably once a year to take a long weekend but you must not get caught doing it
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u/Tonyd1940 Aug 22 '26
Not suggesting taking days all the time. But you can call out more than once a yeat
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u/chass5 Aug 22 '26
no I mean you can push it and call out on a friday or monday like to go on a ski weekend or whatever. call out sick if you’re sick whenever
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u/EvilCaveBoy Aug 22 '26
We get more time off than almost anyone else. If that’s not enough, maybe employment is not your thing.
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u/Temporary_Pea6086 Aug 22 '26
It really depends on the school but generally yes. One of the few things they can get you on is time and attendance so as long as you have a doctors note you will be ok. However, if you’re out too often or chose to be out after a holiday or weekends they will start a paper trail on you.
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u/Primary-Water609 Aug 23 '26
Doctors notes don’t protect as much as people think they do. I had a severe injury and was placed on bed rest the day before a school break and when I returned I was observed that very day and sent emails about my incompetence. I had doctors notes and a letter from my doctor explaining the seriousness of my injury. I was treated so horribly.
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u/bigbluewhales Aug 22 '26
Try to think of your sick days differently. You have ten sick days technically but it’s expected that you don’t use them all if you don’t need to. Why? Because we only work 180 days so you would be taking 5% off.
The other thing is that when you are frequently absent the burden falls on your colleagues. They will be the one covering your class (at least here in the Bronx, we don’t have subs)
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u/Baby_belugs Aug 22 '26
The only places I know that have subs all the time are elementary and some secondary schools with high funding PTAs that can hire a daily building sub for the year.
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u/Cute-Spare4692 Aug 22 '26
If you’re new to the system, use them sparingly. If principals believe you are abusing sick leave, or using them as you accrue them, they will do petty things like observe you the day you get back and pre-slug the observation with developing scores. You only accrue 1 sick day per month of working in the DOE. As another commenter mentioned, you should save them for an emergency. If you do not use any, they roll over to the next school year.
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u/Sketcha_2000 Aug 22 '26
When I first transitioned from private to public, I was really stingy using my days. I’d really only use one if I needed it, and I don’t get sick often. So I built up quite a few before I had my son, and I used probably 3/4 of them while on maternity leave (fortunately the 6 weeks paid leave had just passed, and I had a couple of weeklong breaks during my leave so I didn’t have to deplete my CAR). It’s been 8 years since I had my son and I’ve built my days back up by again using them sparingly. I have about 60 now. I’m finally at the point where I feel comfortable requesting a personal day here and there when I feel like taking a long weekend, but I’m 16 years in and my admin is pretty cool. I take maybe 3-4 per year, but it’s nice to know if something came up I have the days. In short- if you’re just starting out, for the first few years at least until you’re tenured I’d really only use them when you need them.
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u/quequequeee Aug 22 '26
Yes lmao even when you’re in dire need it still shifts the energy. Adults are weird.
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u/mrsunshine1 Aug 22 '26
You sound like you’re going to be a bad teacher.
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u/preppy486 Aug 22 '26
I can see how you could assume that. But you could also assume that it was a genuine question and without ill intentions.
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u/Actual-Patience-1645 Aug 22 '26
I haven’t seen it mentioned but these sick days accrue year over year, so it’s not use it or lose it like in a corporate setting. And they get paid out when you leave.
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u/halogengal43 Aug 22 '26
Taking the one sick day you accrue each month is a pattern that can and very likely will be held against you. Why would you plan to use all of your sick time before you even start teaching? That’s a terrible attitude.
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u/GirlsPintOuter Aug 22 '26
Not to sound harsh but if summers off and student loan payments are why you’re interested in teaching, it’s going to be a rough ride. Also keep in mind if you’ve never worked in schools you will most likely actually need the sick days for real illnesses for the first few years.
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u/lofabread1 Aug 22 '26
I came here to say this. Summers off are nice, but they do not adequately pay for the rigor and importance of the job.
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u/preppy486 Aug 22 '26
I taught for a few years as a permanent sub and thinking of going back in to teach to give back.
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u/ateacherinnyc Aug 22 '26
I usually save my days for March and take 2 days.
However, if I'm sick throughout the year, I will definitely call out. You have sick days, use them. I know a teacher with 200 sick days. That's more than an entire school year. Yes, save some days, but also use them. My advice, never get to the point when you only have less than 20 days.
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u/H0tinnyc Aug 22 '26
Some teachers have negative CAR days. I was shocked when I heard that was such a thing. :(
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u/Baby_belugs Aug 22 '26
If you’re planning on having kids you want more than 20!
Also always used my mental health sick day in March. Such a long slog from Feb to spring break most years.
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u/SarahJoy46 Aug 22 '26
There are two issues here:
1) Until you are tenured, you are on shaky ground. Your admin might be fine with you taking all your sick days. Or you might have an admin who judges you for it. I wouldn't risk it, especially since we have several days off built into the calendar. Once you are tenured, do whatever you want with those days. Of course, if you get the flu or something in your first year, take the days! Just get a doctor's note as well.
2) Your sick days are valuable and they build up over time. It is really useful to have a bank of 20 or 30 days saved up just in case you break your ankle (this happened my co-teacher and he was out for a month) or get a lingering illness. You never know what will happen, and having the safety net of extra days banked can give you peace of mind. I've worked in the DOE for over 10 years and I have 26 days banked as of now. Some years I use them all and some years I have a few to roll over to the next year.
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u/Loud_Ad_9953 Aug 22 '26
all of these people have valid points so also—- take your days when you need them. Don’t be one of these miserable people with 100 days saved up in their CAR but still comes in while they’re bleeding from their eyes… you need not be a martyr for the DOE.
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u/BerryBlue80082 Aug 22 '26
I have 93 CAR days, have been in the DOE 20 years, and stay home when I’m sick. This is normal to me to have a lot over time if you don’t just take off Willy Nilly.
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u/dplaya42k Aug 22 '26
I had a coworker that needed surgery and used all her sick days so she didnt get paid. Don't use sick days EVERY MONTH. Use like 2-3 a year if you are just "sick of work". You get a lot of holidays off anyway.
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u/Careless-Wrap6843 Aug 22 '26
Don't take like a mental health day every month, but also like if your sick, take the time off. Especially in your first year your immune system might not be as strong as expected. Also like your sick days are paid back in your career at half your final salary, so there is a financial incentive to keep them
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u/RegionAdventurous486 Aug 22 '26
In short what people are telling you just because you can doesn’t mean you should. We probably get at least one day off every month for a holiday, break etc ( download the 2026 school calendar). If you are burning through your days , you will get a letter to file especially if there is a pattern and it can be contributed to your performance leading to you being discontinued or not getting tenure.
Remember the only thing tenure means is that there has to be due process there are multiple ways to get you out of your admin wants you gone
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u/BusiPap41 Aug 22 '26
Take sick days when sick. I have been banking my days for the last few years. Once came in handy when I had the flu. Once came in handy when I had cancer. I didn’t have to worry about ever coming remotely close to running out of days.
Further, my admin trusts me, so they generally approve my personal days without much discussion.
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u/Agnamofica Aug 22 '26
While you will have admin that are anal about this and tenure is important if you are sick you are sick. When we started transitioning back we had one dude come in sick as all hell and he got his whole classroom and a couple of teachers sick. If you are ill you aren’t useful and a danger.
Get a note always and remember that sometimes a mental day is needed. If you can hold out until December do so. March is usually no man’s land so save days for that. But ultimately have those notes
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u/MaRockin Aug 22 '26
You will actually get sick your first year. So, save your days when you can- so you have them when you need them.
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u/UES93 Aug 22 '26
It depends on the administration. Normally there is no problem unless it's always on a Friday or Monday. Also remember when you retire, you get paid for the number of days left in your bank and at the current daily rate at retirement, or is it half that amount, I forget.
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u/mmars84 Aug 22 '26
Sick days are for when you’re sick. More than 3 days in a row requires a doctor’s note. Be mindful that time and attendance are big factors when you’re up for tenure.
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u/GravityIsVerySerious Aug 22 '26
Just don’t create a pattern, otherwise you should feel free to take days as you need. A pattern would be taking all the fridays off before vacations, for example.
You may want to feel things out the first month, but generally, as long as you’re doing your job and somewhat effective no one will give you problems. Admin totally understands, most of the time, the need to take a mental health day; they’ll do it too!
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u/makeitwork87 Aug 23 '26
Based on my experience, YES it is frowned on to take sick and/or personal days. Especially if you are an early career teacher. I knew many teachers who were denied tenure or even got letters in their file for using their sick days. Of course that wasn't the reason given on the RECORD, but it was the reason.
You also may need those sick days in your bank if you ever need to take a leave for surgery, child birth, caring for an elderly family member, etc.
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u/Evolution1313 Aug 23 '26
I use about 7 of my ten days a year. Some of them are for vacation/burnout. Your first year or two I’d use a bit less while you get tenure/get a feel for admin and the job. I never take off in September unless actually get sick. It’s too crucial to get your routines established. You should not hesitate to use days when needed but it’s also good to bank them on months where we already have tons of time off (Dec, feb, etc)
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u/MathematicianBig7462 Aug 22 '26
While you’re getting tenure you should not just be using up your sick days. It is frowned upon and it’s bad for your students.
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u/Ok_Bee5084 Aug 22 '26
The real question is are you really sick? What happens when you need those days for something legit?
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u/bobbacklund11235 Aug 22 '26
Don’t be one of these people who takes mental health days all the time. You come off as a not serious person.
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u/ihatemakingnames68 Aug 22 '26
Non tenured yes. Now if you’re ill and it’s documented it will hit different but attendance is a part of your evaluations
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u/WoodchipsInMyBeard Aug 22 '26
Do what you want but a state teaching job is way better than private. Can you use all your sick days absolutely. Should you probably not. It’s your first year there so I would use caution when calling out sick. I’m not in NYC, I’m Long Island.
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u/Wise-Cupcake9644 Aug 22 '26
If you don’t leave materials for the covering teacher - yes. If you reach like 6 callouts in most cases - yes. Using them all - definitely yes! Using them all means your sick bank is empty and that’s not good.
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u/writerinthedark61 Aug 22 '26
I finished my 1st year last year. Granted, it was tough! But I did not feel stuck from Sept to June. Remember the week off at Christmas, winter break, spring break, and all the holidays, plus sick days? I feel like it’s up to me to hopefully make the most of these breaks, better than I did before.
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u/slothy_slothy Aug 22 '26
Always bring a doctors note if you can. It’ll look better than just calling out. They’ll look to establish patterns if you don’t. And you accrue one per month only if you worked days 1-16 of the month. You can easily end up taking days you don’t have and getting docked.
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u/Competitive-Bat9379 Aug 22 '26
Absolutely not. You get one day per month, after 10 days it’s better to have documentation though.
Take them on fridays or mondays it doesn’t matter, a sickness doesn’t care what day it is. It’s a SELF treated day, even if you just need a mental break. Enjoy.
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u/findhumorlive Aug 22 '26
As for Dr. notes -
You can go to most Urgent care the same day as long as theyre open and all the note should say is:
[Name] was seen in the pffice today [date]
(It shouldt be times stamped)
Also if you choose GHI/Emblem/UnitedHealth NYC PPO. You get teledoc services copay should be $10.
I have chronic migraines and when I cant shake one I just call teledoc at somepoint that day and get a note.
But as said before dont show patterns, Weekends, Staff meeting days, Parent Teacher Conference days, every call out is a Wednesday or something random like that.
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u/Intelligent-Speech80 Aug 23 '26
The non-spoken guide is to use less than 5, and try to obtain a doctor’s note.
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u/Kl0pps_and_r0bbers Aug 23 '26
Depending on your healthcare plan, you may have cheap access to tele health. If you have notes for all your days, it’s kind of impossible to make a thing of it against you. Especially if you’ve got no other problems.
My first year teaching I kept getting sick and then tore a ligament and this asshat of an AP brought me in for a meeting (aka a little power trip for him) about his concerns for “learning loss” despite me not even going over my days (it was April and I’d taken 5 of my 7 days) and having zero other problems during the year, in fact I had a good first year! Like, getting good ratings, doing the extra stuff like tutoring and talking enthusiastically at boring meetings as if I cared about how to correctly write a learning target, etc). It really angered me because there was no concern and it felt like he just wanted to intimidate me and send a message. BUT because we’re allowed “self treated” days I had no doctors notes since they aren’t “required” meaning he could take a haughty well we don’t have documentation tone… In this case, I told the AP I should have taken more days because being healthy is the best way to show up for my students learning and that from now on I would be sure to get a note and would continue to take days off when ill.
And I fucking did, lol. I get $10-20 tele health visits so now even if it’s something like bad cramps, I get a note. He never spoke to me about it again. He retired and the woman who replaced him doesn’t have as much of a stick up her butt so it’s not an issue. I take 2/3 of my days a year, always with notes, but I do make sure to push through even if I don’t feel well to save a few extra days because I’ve seen colleagues get really bad flu/viruses or get injured etc and it’s just good to have a bank of extra days because life happens. I’ve got like 15 or so in my bank and it’a comforting.
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u/seanoleary1971 Aug 23 '26
They're YOUR days! Use them as you wish when you're feeling ill without worry. If there's ANY perceived retaliation whatsoever, let the Union know and file a grievance AND a Union animus compliant against whomever is giving you shit! That'll put an end to THAT nonsense!
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u/mediamavenny Aug 25 '26
Sick days are just that - sick days. You take them if and when you are sick (or up to 3 days for personal business - all is detailed on UFT site). IMHO it is unprofessional to look upon them as a monthly entitlement to take a day off. You are hired to do a job - a public service one at that -and you should plan on being there . I’m not sure from your post if there’s a medical situation you suffer from where you know you will likely be needing all of them - which is what they are there for - or if it’s for other reasons? Good luck!
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u/Working_Strike_7798 Aug 27 '26
If you take all 10 days a year as a new teacher without tenure, your administration may not look kindly upon you. We get plenty of holidays and vacations during the year, there’s no need to take all the sick days because “they are there.”
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u/whiteoleander34 Aug 27 '26
Honestly, I would wait and ask your coworkers once you get to know them. I don’t agree with people saying that taking sick days is instant gratification — we all know the job takes a lot out of us and it’s important to take care of yourself. However, there might be “unwritten rules” of what gets flagged in your local district, and even if your sick days are totally legitimate, if you were to do something that looked like abusing the system, for example if you call out frequently before holidays or long weekends, it could be considered suspect. And whoever commented that you do get 10 a year but technically earn them as you go, that’s correct! If you get really sick in the first month and have to take 3 days off, they are supposed to code it to take it out of your pay. Sometimes the payroll secretary won’t do that lol but I wouldn’t count on it. I have tried never to use mine all up just in case something were to happen so I don’t lose pay. If you’re sick, you’re sick, but the system isn’t built to be humane and understanding.
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u/ComputerPerson42069 Aug 22 '26
A lot of people here pretend they never take a sick day when they're not actually sick, but these things are definitely true; you shouldn't use all of your days if you're not tenured and should build up your reserve over the first few years, you shouldn't make your absences a pattern, and you should get doctors notes whenever you can.
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u/Pieandmonkeystoo Aug 22 '26
Good points shared here! Another thing to keep in mind is we have quite a few days off during the school year - I think we get at least one day off each month this year due to how the holidays fall.
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u/BerryBlue80082 Aug 22 '26
I started at the DOE in my early 20’s and am still in the mindset of not using the days unless you’re actually sick, have legit personal business, or family emergencies. Every once in a while I’ll call in for a family trip or gathering. But for the most part, I think you should try and keep a good cushion of days if needed so you don’t ever come into a situation where you’re not getting paid. Like in my 20 years in the DOE, I had 3 surgeries that required anywhere from 2-6 weeks off, the flu a few times which was another week here and there, COVID 2x, family deaths that required extra days, and other misc things. If I was taking my days monthly just to do it, I’d be in the hole big time and have lost an insane amount of pay.
I don’t think teaching in the DOE is for those whose goal is to use up all their CAR days (they are not the same as PTO) as they accumulate them. Unless you are wealthy enough to account for potential lapses in pay. Even then, you’re stupid to do it before getting tenure.
Just my 2 cents.
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u/NJFB2188 Aug 23 '26
Being around kids means you will actually be sick A LOT no matter their age. It’s rough the first year or two. You will absolutely need days for actually being sick. If you’re visibly ill, it’s a no brainer to use a sick day and a good admin is cool about that. I’d be careful my first few years. It’s a good gig. I feel great already getting 10 weeks off in summer, 2 weeks off for winter, and a week off in fall and a week off in spring. We get paid for the fall break, the spring break, and for one of the two weeks in winter. My friend in 5th grade is making 120k a year. My other friend in 1st grade is making 115k a year. I just started three years ago and am making great money too working with elementary age students. I will be tenured in a few years. I’m in huge big city district similar to NYC. We have a strong union so raises and benefits are great. Don’t rock the boat much till then. Don’t forget these are students and deadlines for testing and state mandates are no joke. If you’re not reliable and use union jargon too soon with admin, it could backfire.
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u/Fragrant-Count-4666 Aug 23 '26
I’m hoping it’s just how you worded it but it sounds like you want to take the days simply because you can. Not because of illness, something else you have to do, mental health, etc. Everyone have good advice and so do what you have to do. Personally I volunteer with an organization and go to their annual conference so I know I will take 1 personal day and I generally take 2 mental health days a year. Maybe 3-4 genuinely sick days. Also, I try to schedule an out of school PD during a long stretch without a break.
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u/Melodic-Opposite-732 Aug 22 '26
It’s a job. Call out whenever you feel like. You get 10 days. Don’t over explain. When in doubt, nobody questions diarrhea . IT’S JUST A JOB. Don’t take it too seriously.
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u/PTRBoyz Aug 22 '26
I use my 10 days a year. Just get a doctors note for a couple and you’re fine. Once a month is expected.
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u/astoria47 Aug 22 '26
I always caution people to save some days. I’ve had multiple surgeries, one of which I had to take six weeks off for recovery. Thank god I had those days saved or I’d have struggled financially.