I've got a stomach bug or a touch of food poisoning or something, and because I work in food, I can't go back to work until I've been symptom-free for 48 hours. That means I can't go to work on Thursday, and I need to give them a heads up so they can get my shift covered... but nobody ever answers the goddamn phone!

I've been trying all day.

It's a good job I'm a decent person or I'd just give up and let them figure it out when the time comes.

Oh man, I used to work in place that wouldn't answer the stupid phone too. I swear once I called every hour the day before my shift, from just before opening to a little before close, then before my shift that day. They finally called me a half hour after my shift would have started wondering why I wasn't there and I told them that not picking up the phone doesn't magically make me not sick so I'll come in. That was also the phone call I quit because the manager was seriously going to try to guilt me into coming in despite the fact I had the flu from hell.

That sounds horrible, what a jerk! I don't blame you for quitting. People just don't take flu seriously. I suppose a lot of people use the word interchangeably with "cold" so they don't realise the common cold can't hold a candle to a bad case of the flu. The manager at my first job nearly made me cry once because I had flu, and he said, "Do you think that's an acceptable reason for not coming in?" Bear in mind this was my first job and I was so eager to do well, and he made me feel like I was a pathetic idiot who deserved to be fired. Haha, seems like being a douchebag is in the job description for a lot of managers, right? xD

Ugh. I hate calling in sick to my work. Mostly because it's a specialized job (I'm a photo tech at a local paper) and there are only three of us (myself included) who can do it, and the one girl never covers for anyone (although the other guy and I cover for her all the time). Thank God I'm hardly ever sick or I'd be screwed...and they'd be screwed too, lol.

Ouch getting a bad manager at your first job, that's the worst. I agree, I hate people who don't think flu's are serious because I've slept in the bathtub just to be right next the toilet because I need it every two minutes anyway and you want me to come in and stand for 8hrs with a smile on my face? Not. Happening.

I've worked at my current job for 2 years. I think I've called in sick maybe twice. One of the times was like 2 months ago, and when I came in for my next shift my manager was so concerned, making sure I was okay. She was like "OMG I was so worried. You NEVER call in sick!" And then a few weeks ago I was covering a shift for someone, and I got confused and came in a half hour late. Again my manager was so worried because I'm usually early for my shift. Being a good employee can really pay off. Not even being a great employee, just always coming to work and picking up shifts when needed. If I slack every once in a while its no big deal.

Illness was not a good enough excuse for me to miss time off work. The only thing that really got me to stay home was when I broke my right leg. Believe me my supervisor had to threaten me with termination coming to work with a cold or the flu while still contagious. I hate being left as a loafer.