Archived I call out because

[HRZone]

Hey friends I'm doing a study on absenteeism. I know there are some of you who call outwhenever, some who call out only when sick, and some of you who wouldn't call out even if your mother died.

I am most interested in avoidable callouts.

What other than sickness, injury or a sick child or loved one would cause you to call out?

I'm curious if there are things stores can do schedule wise to decrease absenteeism.

 

[FredPanda3]

I usually call off bc I'm extremely stressed from school because I have a lot of studying or assignments to do and I don't have time for/prefer not to go to work.

 

[WinterRose]

Two years ago when I had the Idiotic TL as my boss, I would call off often and did NCNS. I was really depressed and didn't want to work for him. These days, with a different TL, I would only call off if my back is hurting or if my family needs me (for babysitting or whatever). I will still come in even if I was sick as long as my back is ok. Last year, there were times when I did go to work even when my back was killing me but I did that bec my TL was on vacation and I know her dept needs my help. Those were excruciatingly painful days. During remodel, I still came in even when I was sick and coughing and my lungs were burning. The only time I called off during the remodel was when my back was hurting. The remodel ETL thought she would have someone complete the remodel without any call off. She thought that would be me (besides the Remodel TL).

My TL knows I can't work in the afternoon as I babysit for my sister. But if ever I am scheduled during that time and my TL wasn't able to change it in time, I would call off.

I have known other people who would call off as a revenge on their leaders. They would also pull their friends in other dept with them. I didn't tell anyone about this but they are no longer with the store for other reasons. I also know of a few who would call off bec they didn't want to work on a weekend. And I know of a few who would put their shift on swap bec they didn't want to work in that workcenter (HR TM sched in front end, hardlines or flow. Market TM sched in market. Hardlines sched in market/cashier).

 

[Leo47]

Usually my dad will take me to work. He works nights and sleeps during the day so he wakes up just to take me, and one time I realized he wasn’t awake yet about 20 minutes before my shift (he will usually wake up an hour before to be fully awake before he drives). I didn’t want to wake him up because I felt bad that he would be so tired to oversleep, and I realllllly didn’t feel like going anyways (I think it was about my 8th day in a row) so I called and said my car wouldn’t start can’t come in sorry. I did feel bad that I gave them like basically no notice but i checked on the schedule to make sure they had enough closers so they wouldn’t be totally suffering. If it was only me and like one other person I would have ubered but they had more than enough capable people closing so I wasn’t worried.

Another time a family member died and that day my family decided to go to the state that they were in, so I called out in advance for my shift the next morning.

Those are my only call-outs and I’ve been with target for 8 months. Now if I don’t feel like working a shift or I can’t I will put it on branch (opening, anyone?) and 99% of the time someone will take it. If not, I’ll suck it up and go

 

[SrTLall]

2 times in over 10 years, once for food poisoning, once for grandma death.

 

[CabbageKnight]

Used to call out a lot due to illness and my personal life turning into a living hell. Went down in Hours, Got out of a terrible Relationship and now the only time I've called out is when I was sent home due to the Flu and was in and out of the Doctor all week.

Only avoidable time was when there was more then a Foot of Snow on the Ground and I couldn't get to work, But I called my Team Lead an hour and a half beforehand so it went fine.

 

[Thunderbird1956]

The ones I've heard include some that shouldn't even happen:
I was scheduled 8(+) days in a row with only one day off.
I'm scheduled outside my availability.
I'm only scheduled for a single shift so why bother.
I'm consistently being scheduled over the number of hours I asked for (ie in school looking for 20-25, but scheduled 30+).
I don't know how to change my availability in MyTime, I changed my availability and was auto denied, I requested this time off months in advance but it was denied.

I asked not to be scheduled in a specific workcenter and was scheduled for the shift anyway.

 

[NKG]

Car problems no other way to get to work.

 

[NPC]

For non sickness related call outs, I really only call when my schedule is inconsistent for a long time. Eventually it wears me out. Even though I'm not sick as in contagious, mentally I need a break.

I know writing a schedule isn't easy, but I don't get the advantage of staggered, random scheduling. I don't get how that makes writing a schedule easier, nor do i get how it's supposed to be beneficial. I think that's a huge factor for callouts. I feel bad for people who only work 3 or 4 days, but they're evenly spread out so you can't even enjoy the time off. It makes more sense to call out for one of those shifts, use sick time, and enjoy a 4 day weekend. Like how are you supposed to plan your life, when you can't even anticipate when you're going to need to be at work.

 

[NPC]

Also, working conditions have been so demoralizing this past year, it makes it really difficult to want to come in, especially if it's some random, intrusive shift. After closing 3 days in a row. Don't jerk me around.

 

[RhettB]

I've called in (aside from funerals) 6 times in 18 years. Our attendance policy is terrible. So many people who should be just gone.

 

[Bosch]

I am sick
Husband is sick, or injured(he plays sports it has happened)
Cars broken on the way to work. It's happened a couple times, one was major carnage.
Being scheduled 10+ days straight - bitch please don't you fuckers look at a schedule?(ETL who wrote that shit more than once)
I am fighting the scheduled late in the day one now, but don't make me sit in traffic for over an hour for a three hour shift. Yeah no.. I am giving that shit away.

 

[IWishIKnew]

I have not called out yet, but I have talked to ETLs to be taken off the schedule for:
1. Conflict with my day job (not major--my company has a children's holiday party that my kids love, and I guess on which Saturday it would be and guessed wrong, and for some reason they didn't tell us the date as early as usual. Came in noon-8 instead of 7-3)
2. Moving to an earlier shift to go to family Christmas Eve festivities
3. Got off the schedule on a day I got a ticket to my day job's corporate suite for an NFL playoff game--the sponsor of the suite that day asked for names to be thrown into the hat of people who were fans of the team and had exceptional work years last year and my boss put me in. I could have skipped it, but would have felt super weird turning it down as such rewards pretty much never happen at my company.

So, long story short, unless something came up as an emergency with myself, husband or kids (illness, injury, etc.) I can't really think of anything that would have me calling out. If I have a problem with the schedule I've found talking to my ETL about a schedule shift works out just fine. There have been times when everything is broken at my day job and I stay later than normal, but since I usually only work 1 weekday, I can usually work around that.

What kills me on this forum is watching people angst about stuff coming up with their family or school or getting scheduled when they're not really available and they feel that their only option is to call in. Is my store unusual in that in those type of situations you can talk to your ETL or ETL HR and see if they can accommodate a switch? It seems like that would be way better for all involved, but if your leadership sucks I guess there's not much else you can do.

 

[SeeingSpot]

What kills me on this forum is watching people angst about stuff coming up with their family or school or getting scheduled when they're not really available and they feel that their only option is to call in. Is my store unusual in that in those type of situations you can talk to your ETL or ETL HR and see if they can accommodate a switch? It seems like that would be way better for all involved, but if your leadership sucks I guess there's not much else you can do.

My leaders were always great about this. When I got hired I had a weekend job so I wasn’t able to work weekends at my store. Anytime they put me on the schedule, I’d just remind them I wasn’t available and they’d take care of it.

 

[SallyHoover]

Don't give me a week of 5.5-5.75 hr shifts. Either give me 4-5 or at least 6.5. Having to go 5.75 hrs with only one 15 min break, multiple times in one week is a killer.

 

[REDcardJJ]

I've called out once, and it was because I got food poisoning and was literally throwing up every 15 minutes. Maybe I've had too much of the Kool-Aid, but call outs do affect the rest of the team (especially up front) so I don't call out unless it's just medically not possible for me to work a whole shift.

 

[idkwhattodo]

I have not called out yet, but I have talked to ETLs to be taken off the schedule for:
1. Conflict with my day job (not major--my company has a children's holiday party that my kids love, and I guess on which Saturday it would be and guessed wrong, and for some reason they didn't tell us the date as early as usual. Came in noon-8 instead of 7-3)
2. Moving to an earlier shift to go to family Christmas Eve festivities
3. Got off the schedule on a day I got a ticket to my day job's corporate suite for an NFL playoff game--the sponsor of the suite that day asked for names to be thrown into the hat of people who were fans of the team and had exceptional work years last year and my boss put me in. I could have skipped it, but would have felt super weird turning it down as such rewards pretty much never happen at my company.

So, long story short, unless something came up as an emergency with myself, husband or kids (illness, injury, etc.) I can't really think of anything that would have me calling out. If I have a problem with the schedule I've found talking to my ETL about a schedule shift works out just fine. There have been times when everything is broken at my day job and I stay later than normal, but since I usually only work 1 weekday, I can usually work around that.

What kills me on this forum is watching people angst about stuff coming up with their family or school or getting scheduled when they're not really available and they feel that their only option is to call in. Is my store unusual in that in those type of situations you can talk to your ETL or ETL HR and see if they can accommodate a switch? It seems like that would be way better for all involved, but if your leadership sucks I guess there's not much else you can do.

Yep my store is pretty reasonable with this. The few times it has happened to me everyone in HR had been completely helpful, but I think the key is going early and showing effort to make something work.

I went to my HR TL two days after I saw the schedule, which happened to be the first time I saw her since the schedule was published and let her know that I’ve already asked around to see if anyone could take the shift or swap with me for a later start and she ending up letting me know class was my priority and it would get worked out and it did.

But I see TMs at my store all the time go up to HR with an attitude like the day before and then end up calling out because HR couldn’t do much about a change on that short of notice. Be proactive, people!

 

[oath2order]

Only time I called out in recent history was because I was not about to work Christmas in price change.

Also I got sick

 

[Aredhel]

Well back in the day when we all did unload it might have been sore muscles and fatigue. Look it up.

 

[CeeCee]

I’ve only called out when I was actually sick. I even went to work the day my dad died because I couldn’t leave until the next day anyway. (Family is in a different state.)

 

[Aredhel]

I’ve only called out when I was actually sick. I even went to work the day my dad died because I couldn’t leave until the next day anyway. (Family is in a different state.)

Me too. I’m sorry for your loss.

 

[CeeCee]

Me too. I’m sorry for your loss.

Thanks. We weren’t on the best terms when he passed so I try to remember how he was when I was a kid.

 

[Tessa120]

Mental health days. There are times when I'm so stressed I would rather do anything other than work....anything including surgery under local anesthesia only (the worst activity I've had happen to me).

Mental illness days part one. The times when I'd rather be hiding in the bedroom closet than do anything....anything including eating chocolate cake (the best activity I've done).

Mental illness days part two. My doctor wants to change my medication again. The physical effects of the medication change are so terrible I'd rather have the flu....or the measles. Either would feel better.

Physical illness. This is a pretty physical job, if I think that I'm sick enough I won't be able to make it through the entire shift I'll call out.

Urgent medical appointment. Sometimes you don't have the luxury of making them three weeks out. Sometimes the doctor doesn't have an opening during the times you are scheduled off and the issue can't be put off until your schedule and the doctor's schedule coincide.

Transportation issues. That's pretty rare for me though.

Daughter or husband being seriously sick, sick enough to need physical care or a trip to urgent care. Very rare though.

I didn't call out when my cat died. I should have, I flipped out and raged halfway through my shift over something very minor. And a few times that day when someone asked how I was doing, without thinking I said "I murdered my cat today." I will call out when the next cat dies.

 

[TheBeastPMT]

Significant snow storms


I come in when I am sick, and my schedule dont change, so Im not guessing

 

[TTGOz]

I chose when I need two days in a row as more of a "I need a mental health day for christ's sake"

I've done it only once, and holy hell did it help. Honestly, when you call in, just be honest, I told the LOD "I'm not feeling that great today, I just need a mental health day" and she said "Oh, okay, well I hope you feel better! See you tomorrow" and that was the last I heard of it.