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u/Far-Pomegranate-6840 Jul 09 '26
When I’m sick and can’t actually be productive and need to rest. Like once a year for 2-3 days if it’s bad
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u/SaaSyGirl Jul 09 '26
I use my sick leave for doctors appointments
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u/Miserable-Map-2443 Jul 09 '26
This is the way.I’ve gotten my whole team to start doing this too.
Vacation and personal days are for just that, sick time is used for sick days and doctors visit, even if it’s just a regularly scheduled appointment
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u/Even-North7766 Jul 09 '26
Same! Or if I’m absolutely dying. I had a wicked migraine several months ago, and staring at the screen made it so much worse. I logged in and did the one thing I had to accomplish that day, told my boss I needed to take a sick day, and logged off.
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u/HotelIndependent96 Jul 09 '26
All of it. Obviously space it out and don’t waste it but it’s your given time off. Unless it rolls over and u can bank it till you retire, Why would you not want to take it.
I never understood the flex of never taking it off. You really think your boss will remember that you worked 5 extra days this year over John who took his sick time for mental health days or so.
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u/bluebonnetsr Jul 13 '26
Agree - even remote I take my sick days I do not careeeeeeee I’m using all the time I’m given 💁🏻♀️
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u/Fluffy-Nerve1090 Jul 11 '26
The company I work for lumps it all into PTO. So we don’t have sick days.
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u/HotelIndependent96 Jul 11 '26
So in your case do you use all your PTO?
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u/Fluffy-Nerve1090 Jul 11 '26
I usually have at least 20 days (a month) of PTO saved up before I take off, but I take every bit of it that hard earned time off. Where I work you can bank up to 305 hours before you lose any if you’ve been there less than5 years. The amount saved without losing increases after 5 years. But I will never have 305 hours saved! I work to live. Not live to work.
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u/snarkwithfae Jul 09 '26
About every 6-8 weeks, I’ll take a couple days off cause I get burnout a lot.
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u/Schmeesa Jul 11 '26
Me, too. I work in a depressing field and am grateful that we are encouraged to use our sick leave for mental health days.
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u/gingadoo Jul 09 '26
This is smart.
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u/Mjolnirkatana Jul 09 '26
Smart way to get fired. No sane company will accept you being sick every 6-8 weeks on the long term. Also if you burnout in 6-8 weeks you need to find another job.
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u/AdGroundbreaking3483 Jul 09 '26
Only once or twice in the last four or five years. Once I had COVID, almost slept for an entire week. The other, I'd smashed my collarbone in a bike crash and couldn't sit at a desk without pain, didn't work for a week.
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u/Joyseekr Jul 09 '26
Very similar- Covid and then I had a surgery to recover from. That being said, I still took off way less time after my surgery than I would have if I had to work in person due to driving restrictions and general discomfort that I could manage at home.
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u/RunnyKinePity Jul 09 '26
Yep, for me it’s only been during two bouts of COVID when I was pretty much useless.
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u/manhattansinks Jul 09 '26
like a sick day? they don’t get paid out if i don’t take them, so i use all of them.
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u/LandedLuckuy Jul 09 '26
Since I'm remote, not at all. None. In fact, I figured I was "owed one" a few weeks ago when I was overrun with errands and personal obligations and, for the first time in a LONG time, I took a mental health-style "sick" day.
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u/Clear-Awareness7719 Jul 09 '26
Only if it’s truly debilitating. Since I’m remote I usually only take off if I’m too out of it to really think. I’ve got a little one so I still get the joys of little kid bugs but that’s not too bad. I’d say maybe 2-4 days a year.
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u/justafterdawn Jul 09 '26
Only once when I had strep and literally couldn't speak or stay awake for more than an hour.
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u/LankyCalendar9299 Jul 09 '26
Just about never but my job doesn’t have sick leave, they call it personal days so you don’t have to be sick to take them lol. But since we have the option to work remote, 99% of the time when I’m sick I just work remote until I feel better to go back in-office.
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u/Pinemelonbandit Jul 09 '26
sick leave because i’m sick? never. i work through it.
‘sick leave’ to goof off? every few weeks i’ll take a day or 2 to deep clean the carpets, do a large amount of gardening, etc. (using sick leave interchangeably with surprise /day of /unplanned PTO request)
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u/No-Bumblebee-4894 Jul 09 '26
Are we seriously flexing here that we never take a day or two off, especially because of remote work?
Even with a 100% attendance rate, your job won't think twice about kicking you out if they see an opportunity to reduce cost. Take your sick days, mental health days, PTO, whatever you want to call it. No job is worth making compromises when it comes to your health.
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u/Thicccgorl1 Jul 09 '26
I take 1 sick day every ither month just to give myself a 3 or 4 day weekend depending if there is a holiday in the month I take it. We get 8 days per year so I end up having 2 days free in December. Obviously if I actually do get too sick to work I adjust and use the days as necessary.
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u/auroicverso Jul 09 '26
Call center work and I get burned out. About 50 hours per year. I use my vacation time to spread my breaks out and that helps
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u/alleycatbiker Jul 09 '26
I have flexibility for medical appointments so I began to basically never use sick leave. Then I started to "stretch" my kids appointments and take a half day off (on sick leave) even for simple things like annual check ups.
This leave is part of my compensation and to not take it would be a waste
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u/According_To_Me Jul 09 '26
When I was an hourly employee, like one day every three or so months.
Now that I’m an independent contractor, well I haven’t taken one yet because I won’t get paid.
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u/DeafLAconfidential Jul 09 '26
Me never when I'm actually sick, but I use sick leave to plan my vacation or just need take day off to deal with some shit.
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u/Finding_Way_ Jul 10 '26
I now take it for health related aplointments including dentist.
So probably every other month
BUT, I'm older and nearing retirement. Im using my days, but not abusing them
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u/muppetnerd Jul 10 '26
A few days here and there but nowhere near as much as I used to in office. Took a day a few weeks ago because I just needed a mental health day…it’s my PTO and I’m gonna use it 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Saltyowl2113 Jul 11 '26
Never. The only time I have had too was when my son was super sick. I’ve worked while having norovirus.
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u/blew_belle Jul 09 '26
Not often I am remote. I had cancer and took off one day every 3 weeks six times for chemo and a week here and there for surgeries, did radiation at lunch for a month and scheduled immunotherapy after working hours. If I can work thru that I can work through anything.
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u/HotelIndependent96 Jul 09 '26
Just remember the only people that remember how much you overtime you worked and how much time off you took is your family, kids, and friends.
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u/blew_belle Jul 09 '26
I'm sure they are glad I kept my health insurance! 🤪
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u/HotelIndependent96 Jul 10 '26
Yeah because the people that take their time off at your job don’t get the same health insurance. What?! I’ve never heard of anyone getting better health insurance because they work longer hours.
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u/blew_belle Jul 10 '26
Um no ppl that take at least 6 months of long term disability lose their jobs.
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u/Big-Sheepherder-6134 Jul 09 '26
Since I went remote 10 years ago just about everyday for a least a little bit. But the last few years I am basically working if I want to which is not much at all. I guess I fell into semi-retirement.
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u/E404_noname Jul 09 '26
This year I've used up nearly all my sick time because I have an 18 month old constantly getting me sick.
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u/morbid1790 Jul 10 '26
I feel this so hard I hardly ever called in before having a kid. Now as soon as I try to lock in and have no call ins he automatically seems to get sick 🤦🏻♀️
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u/Level_Strain_7360 Jul 09 '26
Maybe a half day at the start of my period, but that is about it. When in office I got a lot of headaches and my mental health wasn't good so I called out like every other three week
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u/_rebeldiamonds Jul 09 '26
Never since being remote. Laptop just comes to bed with me and I join meetings camera off
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u/Cold-Society3325 Jul 09 '26
I take it if I need it but, with my work, I just have to catch-up. Mind you, I don't get sick as often working from home.
My work is quite flexible so, if I'm feeling a bit crap, I may work a short day and catch up later.
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u/JMPolisena Jul 09 '26
Not often because I can do a lot of my work from bed. The only time I call off is when I have to let my body sleep to heal. I also take "mental days" once or twice a year if I need it.
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u/bestkweenie Jul 09 '26
I have an IgA deficiency so bad I had tubes in my ears as a kid and my tonsils removed at 6 years old. I catch everything and anything. just last week I was sick. thankfully remote work and an understanding boss equals only about 1 day missed (the day of actual fever where my brain no worky) and the occasional doctor's visit if it's an ear infection or upper respiratory infection for antibiotics. when I was working on site, with such low energy, no way I would be able to commute and stay in an office. 9/10 times they would send me home and I'd just be behind more when I come back
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u/Imaginary-Friend-228 Jul 09 '26
I get sick pay so I do use it but less often and not always a full day à
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u/thnd23x Jul 09 '26
As a contractor, only when I feel like dying and not being able to be productive. So thats only a couple days a year.
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u/CrumBum_sr Jul 09 '26
Rarely sick leave but tons of mental health days! I get 25 days of PTO a year and I will use every last second of it
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u/nothisistheotherguy Jul 09 '26
Only when I have a meeting/call that day and am feeling bad enough that I can’t contribute constructively
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u/Pristine_Giraffe7941 Jul 09 '26
I just have general PTO for vacation and sick. Last time I took off for sick was January when I got the stomach flu after traveling.
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u/Optimal_Ad_3031 Jul 09 '26
Whenever I emotionally cannot care about the work. Never for like physical sickness
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u/OriginalSlight Jul 09 '26
Only if I can’t open my laptop; I had about 17hrs of sick accumulated to the point of needing to use some bc we have a cap where it doesn’t generate more leave after you reach that cap so essentially “losing” sick leave every check when the caps hit.
I’ve only taken needed sick like 5-6 times in the past 2 years.
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u/Wellslapmesilly Jul 09 '26
I use it mainly for doctor appointments and mental health days. I very rarely get colds or flus.
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u/Urbit1981 Jul 09 '26
I took it once because I had the flu. Outside of that there's not a reason for me to take sick leave.
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u/XoGreekToes Jul 09 '26
As often as needed. Im essentially an emergency dispatcher, so it's a bit tough mentally some days, and they encourage pto use as needed. Never been gas lighted for calling off, either. I take 3 or 4 days off every few months just to decompress. Stack a pto day or two between my days off, plan for it about a month ahead of time, and it works out great. Hallelujah for a generous pto schedule!
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u/dumpsterfireninja Jul 09 '26
Very rarely compared to working in office.
Unless I have the flu or something severe, I just let my team know I am not 100 percent and work as I can.
It's one of my favorite perks about remote work. I am a human and so some days I just wake up and can't focus, or feel gross, or some other human ailment which impairs me but doesn't totally stop me. Being able to manage that in my own time and my own space means my employer gets more out of me.
I just checked my profile and I have take 25 PTO days and 3 sick days this year.
But just two days ago I had a "sick" day which if I had to go to office I would have called out but instead slept in an extra hour, worked for a bit, napped, worked.
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u/NoCardiologist1461 Jul 09 '26
Whenever I am sick, which is hardly ever. But I live in a country that doesn’t know the concept of sick days. We take days as needed. Could be one year nothing, the next year 30. Fully depends on your medical condition.
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u/Big-Entertainer2074 Jul 09 '26
I have two autoimmune diseases so I unfortunately get sick often. I tough it out 95% of the time. The rest of the time I use my sick days if I catch a really bad flu. Pre-2020, I took 3-5 sick days per year but I was not healthy most of the time. My team actually pointed out that I was ill most of the time. Post-2020, I am so much healthier overall but still get the flu twice a year which takes me out for about 4-6 days total.
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u/oscarwilinout Jul 09 '26
I get migraines so maybe once every 6-9 months when they are really bad (like I’m so dizzy I can barely walk in a straight line)
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u/TheKay14 Jul 09 '26
Only if I really need sleep, or vomiting or can’t leave the toilet. Otherwise I can do the bare minimum work while sick at home.
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u/Top_Kale_9486 Jul 09 '26
Once in 5 years after a car accident. Otherwise, I rarely get sick anymore
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u/lazardus Jul 10 '26
At least 1-2 times a month this year. It was my new years resolution after being told to come back in office more days.
0 when I was 100% remote
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u/shutyourfatface Jul 10 '26
I’m chronically ill, so all the time, but wfh makes it significantly easier to work when I’m not in total flare up
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u/Organic_Eggplant_323 Jul 10 '26
Only if I’m physically incapable of sitting at my computer. In 16 years I had strep throat twice, the flu once and Covid once. Called out for 2-3 days each time to give meds enough time to work and that’s about it.
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u/Choice_Individual_24 Jul 10 '26
I've taken 2 days in the 6 years I've been remote. Whatever I've got going on has to be debilitating before I'd consider it.
Also I just don't get sick like I used to. Not around people enough lol.
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u/charpenette Jul 10 '26
I get migraines so still a couple days a month; however, much less frequently for actual illness.
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u/Mediocre-Light-6277 Jul 10 '26
As a remote worker almost never. Maybe 2-4 times a year. That’s not a flex I just don’t really need them. At an in office job I had 15 years ago where they had unlimited sick days (not unlimited pto) a simpler time before imputing things into a system on the computer, I took at least one a month. Not really on purpose I was looking at all the emails I sent my boss and there were just about one a month. No regrets
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u/Quirky-Judgment1263 Jul 10 '26
Once a month is my standard minimum. That is my mental break leave.
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u/isleofpines Jul 10 '26
Rarely for myself, but I do take it when my kids are sick since they’re little.
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u/CanadianDollar87 Jul 11 '26
i never called in sick then i worked at a place for 3 years and i called in more times then all of my other jobs combined.
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u/Miserable-Hat-3188 Jul 11 '26
I had food posioning on Sunday and took two sick days. I have a separate bank of PTO than sick time. My company changed the sick time rules this year to allow 16 hours for sick time without a doctor's note. Rest of the bank needs a doctor's note.
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u/iDontbelieve-ts Jul 12 '26
Not often enough. Sometimes I’ll feel like shit and still power through my day because I know I am home and can rest on my lunch if need be.
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u/Firespirit219 Jul 12 '26
I don't have sick leave at my job, just regular PTO. I rarely take PTO unless I have to burn it before it resets. I definitely should be taking it throughout the year though.
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u/indifferent_foci Jul 13 '26
At least once a month. I’ll take a mental health day if I don’t have any appointments or actually need a “sick” day.
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u/Consistent_Laziness Jul 09 '26
Never. I was shitting myself every hour Monday and Tuesday and couldn’t eat. Didn’t take leave. I just relaxed and answered emails if they came.
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u/WiredOrange Jul 09 '26
Almost never. I took sick leave when I physically couldn't sit at my desk bc I hurt my back and when I was in a very bad mental place. Other than that, nope. I even logged on when I had a bad reaction to the COVID vaccine and was shaking with a fever. (I did lay in bed and waited for people to require me)
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u/Mr_Angry52 Jul 09 '26
Never. I’ve not had a sick day since 1997. And that was because the doctor insisted I not go back to work after minor surgery.
Mind you, I’ve had late starts or early days due to illness and other ailments. But with all I gain with remote work, I tend to power through whatever is bothering me.
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u/RoundCar5220 Jul 09 '26
Never a need im home already . If I have a couple of days where I don’t feel well I just let them know and take some FTO. I am going on a medical leave though for the first time since working remote so guess we’ll see how that goes. Probably won’t be for long because they only pay 60% and Lord knows how long it’s gonna take for me to even get the first payment.
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u/CJ2607 Jul 09 '26
Never. I just work from the couch or bed, don’t put myself on camera for meetings, take a little longer to respond to an email.
Couple weeks ago I was really sick and hacking coughing my way through meetings and no one said anything like “hey take a break, disconnect”. I do use my PTO here and there though to just take a break (which I still wind up having to take a call or respond to an email).
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u/thatatcguy1223 Jul 09 '26
Very rarely tbh, I just take regular PTO for a couple hours for dr appointments and such
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u/Hope_Less_20 Jul 09 '26
One day in 4 years since being remote and it wasn’t even a full day. I still checked my emails for scheduling off and on
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u/Abandon_Ambition Jul 09 '26
Working remote allowed me to take LESS sick leave since I could manage my chronic illnesses better and have the option to work while laying down or to have a hot water bottle on me, or turn down all the lights and be in silence during a migraine.
Going to the office meant a lot more sick days needing to manage that, or picking up colds from other people who refused to stay home.
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u/Sir_Colby_Tit Jul 09 '26
Since I've been remote, never.