Maybe it is me but it always seems like I have embarrassing things happen to me that I feel I can't tell people about. So I have to call out and lie about being sick.

This weekend my cat bit my hands kind of bad. I can hardly type and if someone hits my fingers it hurts. So I don't want to go into work. But I know I will be "that cat lady" --- usually someone makes fun of me when have a scratch or something ... like I am an abused weird cat lady.

Often times I have embarrassing things happen that I am sick but I don't want them to know about. I once had a large boil in a bad place. I could hardly walk. Eventually I had to go to the ER and get it lanced. But I couldn't tell them that. So I said I had the flu.

At one point I did something to my feet. I believe somehow I pulled the tendons that pulled my my arch. It was super painful. Like knives were being pushed into me when I walked. I called out and used the flu but it was really that I could hardly walk. It wasn't embarrassing per se but I didn't think they would understand. Eventually I couldn't lie anymore and when I told them, they didn't believe me... and I had to get a doctor note.

[divine1966]

Does your workplace require you to specify exact illness? If not, it might not be their business. But I think it’s fairly common to either not disclose or give vague description or maybe even lie. If it’s something related to ob/gyn issue for example, I don’t feel like I need to be disclosing.

[seesaw]

I actually think that unless you're absent for 3 or more days, all you have to do is say "I'm sick." You don't have to say what it is. If they ask, you can be as general as you'd like. Just say, I received an injury yesterday and I need to heal. If it's related to a disability or your MI diagnosis, you absolutely do not have to tell them what it is. Most employers have in their handbooks that if you are absent due to illness for more than 3 days in a row, then you need a doctor's note. The doctor's note does NOT have to specify what the illness was, just that you indeed were advised to stay home from work.

I would check your employee handbook and make them stick to those guidelines. And I would not disclose any illness unless absolutely necessary.

I often would use my "reasonable accommodation" to work from home. And people always asked me if I was feeling better, if I had a cold or the flu, and I just said, no, I didn't have a cold or the flu. And thanks, I do feel better now. But I didn't divulge any info I didn't need to. If HR had a question, I answered it as necessary, but that's all. Co-workers don't have to know what's going on with me. I also considered it an invasion of my privacy.

Seesaw

Originally Posted by seesaw

And people always asked me if I was feeling better, if I had a cold or the flu, and I just said, no, I didn't have a cold or the flu. And thanks, I do feel better now. But I didn't divulge any info I didn't need to. If HR had a question, I answered it as necessary, but that's all. Co-workers don't have to know what's going on with me. I also considered it an invasion of my privacy.

They do try to get it out of me. If not management co workers. But I will keep what you said in mind. Usually I do try not to comment on it but everyone imho insists on find out what it was. While usually if someone is out I don't even ask.

[divine1966]

Originally Posted by Emily Fox Seaton

They do try to get it out of me. If not management co workers. But I will keep what you said in mind. Usually I do try not to comment on it but everyone imho insists on find out what it was. While usually if someone is out I don't even ask.

Actually none of your unfortunate incidents sound embarrassing or unusual. Why would people even find it something to comment on. Cat bite is normal (I didn’t have cat bite but took sick days to care for sick cat) or hurt foot (I have a foot problem and had situation unable to step on it, needed hydrocortisone shots), boil (had that twice, I referred to it as painful skin infection that needed immediate attention, which actually was skin infection gone wrong) etc

I can relate to people being unnecessarily nosey. I had terrible back pain due to degenerating fibroid in my uterus , so I was walking as a person with back ache and I had annoying male coworker repeatedly asking if I’ve seen hyropractor. Ugh

[seesaw]

I hate nosy coworkers.

Originally Posted by seesaw

I hate nosy coworkers.

Yup.. of course they all asked. Then the worst thing... I had to get a tetnus shot and I was weary of doing so because the last time I had one... I went -- down. Fever, chills etc.

So I went Friday night and got the shot. I got up on Saturday and went DOWN. Fever, chills. It seems like I might be recovering right now with only a mild fever.

I hope I can go to work on Monday because I don't want to have to explain again... especially why I was out for two days -- in for two and out again.