“This New Age Of Texting To Call Off Literally Drives Me Insane”: Manager States That People Who Text Employers Are “Unprofessional”, Gets Blasted Online
Have you ever dreaded making a call? Especially if you’ve had to deal with a bad boss who wouldn’t take no for an answer when you just needed that one sick day or had a terrible accident on your way to work?
Turns out you aren’t alone, as the good folks on Reddit also have had this issue, with bosses still wanting to get calls if you’re taking a day off as if it were the stone age. People discuss the best ways to tell your boss you simply aren’t gonna be there today.
More info: Reddit
Calling off work sometimes stumps even the most confident people, leaving them at a loss for what to say to their boss
Image credits: David365 (not the actual photo)
The poster asked what’s better, to call off work or text your supervisor, sharing an image of an employer complaining about calls with his question
Image credits: Gary_October
A heated debate was sparked in the comments with some people saying that it’s about time bosses accepted a text and others saying that it’s still better to call sometimes
The post was shared to the antiwork subreddit, asking for readers’ thoughts about calling in vs. texting that you’ll be absent from work. People soon started discussing what’s better and sharing their opinions on the issue.
Some mentioned that their employers preferred getting a text or email, as it creates documentation. Employers even chimed in, saying that text is the better way to receive such information. Lots of people joked that if you don’t call, it doesn’t give your boss a chance to berate you, so there’s that.
People especially seemed to emphasize the fact that a call could be forgotten, or a jilted employee or manager could say that they never got the call. Managers themselves came forth in the comments to say that they are liable to forget a call, but textual information is best because it’s far harder to simply forget and much easier to manage.
People also mentioned that calling doesn’t just give some people the pleasure of berating the worker, but it may also be an intimidation tactic. It allows the bosses to put pressure on workers that they wouldn’t be able to put into writing, as it would be unprofessional.
Image credits: Andrey (not the actual photo)
A question you may be asking yourself is how you should know when it’s right to call in sick. The best way to find out is to check out your company’s sick policy if they’ve got one, USnews says. Another good indicator that you shouldn’t come into work is if you think that you’re contagious, especially in a post-Covid world. A major sign that you should skip work is if you feel nauseous or are vomiting.
For more specific cases, if you get into an accident or your children are sick, it’s best to contact your HR department and see what the policy is in these cases.
But how should you call into work after all? Is there some procedure or tips and tricks that you should stick to?
MasterClass has a short guide on how to remain professional when calling into work. They say that you should inform your supervisor as soon as possible and be brief about your problems or appointments without dramatizing. Then you should choose the best way to inform your manager, as there may be a specific policy on how it should be done. If you’re short on time, you should choose the method that will reach your supervisor the fastest, MasterClass says.
Image credits: Seth Werkheiser (not the actual photo)
People often wonder and discuss how much personal detail they should reveal to their bosses when they say they won’t be coming in that day. A lot of people, especially on the antiwork subreddit, suggest that you should provide as little personal information as possible.
TopCV suggests that you should tell your supervisor in no more than two sentences that you won’t be coming in today, only briefly naming what’s the issue.
If you are too dramatic or explicit about it, it’ll make them doubt the truthfulness of your story. If you think your message is a bit short, you could thank your boss for their understanding and tell them that you’re eager to return to work.
Same goes if you need time off for your mental health or to care for a sick loved one – let your boss know that you need some rest or time off and leave it at that. Although, depending on your employer, you may not be compensated for it.
The original post collected a huge amount of reactions, with more than 26 thousand upvotes and nearly 7 thousand comments. Many people had tips for people calling off work, suggesting the best course of action. Others joked about controlling bosses and shared stories of how they had called off work in interesting ways. A great excuse for missing work we found was “record-breaking bowel movement,” and if you’d like to see more of the silliest excuses from work, Bored Panda has you covered. Provide your thoughts and opinions about this issues in the comments down below!
The discussion was highly varied, with managers chiming in about the issue and people providing their reasonings why texting is better than calling
Image credits: fauxels (not the actual photo)
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I've always asked my team to text. I'm busy doing chores in the morning before getting ready for and traveling to work. If you call me while I'm lugging a bale of straw/bag of feed, I'm not answering anyway. Also, with a text I've got a record of what you've said so I can track ongoing issues.
My boss wants us to call and text. By handbook text would be enough but she's swamped with texts every day so sometimes messages are overlooked. So she asked nicely to give her a quick call so she would then immediately see the text and be able to start the neccessary steps for covering. No one ever complained because she's a great boss who'll then do everything to ensure your most important tasks are covered and it's reasonable. Also she asked nicely. That's what's making all the difference between a good boss and a bad one.
Was nice about it and explained why. It's not a random, power driven thing. It makes things easier in this case.
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I don't call or text, I just log into paycom on my phone and put in a sick day. Paycom sends my supervisor an email. 🤷🏼♂️
I won't text, because I refuse to let my employer have my personal cell phone number. I have a landline in my house that I use for them. Giving them your cellphone number let's some think that they can call or text you whenever.
totally understand that. i work from home 3 days out of 5, so i give people outside of my office (vendors, reps, ect) my landline number. only people in our company have my cell, and they don't abuse it at all. 99% of our communication is via email.
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I always text my boss unless it really requires a call. He does the same. I work in HR and I'm cool with both but if I prefer a quick text unless it's an emergency.
These people just immediately claiming it's boomers is part of the generational gap issue. I've had gen X bosses be more aggressive with calling in than any boomer I've had. It's not about their age usually, it's about their person.
I'm a boomer and I'm quite happy with modern technology.
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Ask the manager. In my company we use chat. The chat app (Microsoft Teams) is also available for the phone (but I don't have it, because I don't want to have chat notifications off work! People can call me or text me if there's really an emergency). If chat doesn't work, then I would say send a text/SMS. It's just so that managers are very occupied with meetings, so they cannot answer the phone. I don't ever use the phone professionally. We don't have phones on our desk anymore. You can audio call via chat and or make a video call and/or and share the screen. Depends on the job of course, if it's manual labor and not in an office it's another situation, but for a desk job it seems to me phone calls and voice mail is old fashioned and inefficient.
How stupid. Join the modern age. Reminds me of a boss I had who insisted I have a fax. I was like, just scan and e-mail. No. Had to fax. Felt a million years old.
As a manager in IT, calls are for emergencies only. I get called 24/7 and may have been up working on an outage until 5AM. I dont need you calling me at 6AM for something as trivial as not coming into work. If you're calling me for a sick day then you'd best be asking me to help you in some way.
Hmm, every single company I've ever worked for, German, American, British, has always insisted that you call your line manager as soon as you know your not well enough to attend. Perhaps its a cultural thing here? I always used to leave a message around 6 or 7am on their desk phone, and follow up a bit later in the day. To send a text or email would be considered quite rude, even today in my country and depending on how well you get on with your boss could lead to disiplinary action especially if a regular sick day taker. We get fully paid sick days, Doctors note required if 7 days and and over, it does not affect holliday time at all.
Guy doesn’t want his texts to end up on one of those horrible boss listicles. Much better to be horrible on a phone call that can’t be posted.
As a manager, I don't care if you send a carrier pigeon. As long as you let me know before your shift starts, then any method of communication is fine. In fact, texts/emails are better because then we both have a record of it. :)
I'd do whatever the boss told me to do in that situation. If they wanted me to call, I'd call. Or text I'd text... js
My work's policy is you're supposed to call your manager within 30mins of your normal start time. I start around 6am, my boss starts at 9 (I finish 3hrs earlier so no issue for either of us). I think he'd kill me if I called at 6am and woke him up! I email so he can pick it up when he logs on. That way, whilst not calling I am notifying in line with process and he's happy I'm not waking him and his family up!
One should communicate in the way that the manager/company is happy with. Our lot use WhatsApp, but I'm not on that; I can use email on my phone, so I can do that if ill in bed.
Thank you for writing such an informative post and interesting article. Oracle Fusion Financials Online Training
We have a 'call only' policy because most call outs occur in the wee hours of the morning. Text noises are sometimes not heard. While we follow up through text so it is written down, phone calls are more likely to be picked up. No excuse necessary, just "I'm sick today" is all we need. Bonus: Get the supervisor's voicemail! No talking with people!
We've never been given direction on what to do, just to notify the boss. I tend to email, but call when it's short notice.
I can read a text that pops up in less than 5 seconds, but a phone call takes all my attention and time for its duration. Text is best.
You're better of Texting (and Saving). Phone calls are so easily denied to have happened
If your sick or have a sore throat and can't really talk it's annoying to be forced to call in. Why is it deemed unprofessional to text? We aren't children. I may sound okay on the phone but it doesn't mean I am. I don't want to have to put on some pretend 'sick' voice like I've been stabbed because I had some mild food poisoning and was up all night and need a day to recuperate. Plus, isn't it actually illegal to even ask us why we're calling out? Unless it's for more than 3 days straight, you aren't allowed to ask for anything anyway so what the helI? If you don't want a text, then you also aren't allowed to text me with duties or reminders. You also aren't allowed to text me when you are asking if I can come in to cover a shift.
Our policy is that you send either an email or use Teams to at least let your boss know you can't make it in. Preferably let your co-workers know so they can start picking up the slack right first thing in the morning. and finally please let the receptionist know so they can reschedule any appointments that might need to be moved.
My boss and I have always texted if not coming in. Professionalism, or this manager's definition, went out the window with the advent of social media.
Yes don't text, just call. So the day they want to fire you, you will have no proof.
What many people don't understand is that calling off or taking off days in appropriate advance with allotted time isn't an asking for permission thing. It's a notice that you will not be coming in that day. Also, anyone who expects the employee to find their own coverage should take a pay deduction. You're the manager, so how about you manage your team.
i text and add, call me if you need to. so if my boss wants to discuss anything (like what needs to be done that day), she can. she never tries to get us to work if we aren't feeling up to it. i've even called out after a particularly bad bout of insomnia. sometimes life just gets in the way!
I’m not the one to be notified, but still get a call every once in a while. I usually tell whomever is calling in sick that I’ll let their supervisor or department manager know. However, next time they need to text or use the employee portal to make sure it’s documented. I tell them I don’t want their supervisor mistaking claiming they didn’t call in. With a text or webs message, it’s documented and they’re safe.
Our work phone doesn't always get answered, so it's easier to text or email. When I have people working a Saturday with me I prefer they text me before we start just so I know they're not coming. At the moment there aren't enough of us on a Saturday but we make do. I'm also on the floor working.
Idk why it's so important to work while you're sick. While you're sick your body is in emergency mode and putting in extra work already and overworking while you're sick could make it worse or get other people sick or costumers sick. It's hard to work if you're barely functioning
I never call, I always text, or IM if I've been at work, or e-mail if my boss isn't available. They prefer that as well. This is 2023. Get over yourself. I work as a professional, and even at that level, we don't "call" in sick. Ever.
If I wake up in the middle of the night with a family emergency or a severe illness, do you really want me to call you and wake you up? If am handling an emergency, I am not going to want to try and guess what time is acceptable to call or have you worry about calling you later. Or if I am sick I am going to try and go back to sleep as soon as I can. So either I call you in the middle of the night or you get a text. I will say that if you have never communicated with your boss over text, then it might not be the most appropriate way to communicate your pending absence.
It's your place of employment, not a youtube comment section. Calling off by text is just lazy, and suspect. Lying in text is easy.... Edit: please ignore me, I work in a civilized country, meaning that we actually have a good relationship with our bosses. I forgot, that most antiwork articles are targeted at enslaved Che Guevara's.
totally unrealated but how do you edit a bp comment ??
Load More Replies... I've always asked my team to text. I'm busy doing chores in the morning before getting ready for and traveling to work. If you call me while I'm lugging a bale of straw/bag of feed, I'm not answering anyway. Also, with a text I've got a record of what you've said so I can track ongoing issues.
My boss wants us to call and text. By handbook text would be enough but she's swamped with texts every day so sometimes messages are overlooked. So she asked nicely to give her a quick call so she would then immediately see the text and be able to start the neccessary steps for covering. No one ever complained because she's a great boss who'll then do everything to ensure your most important tasks are covered and it's reasonable. Also she asked nicely. That's what's making all the difference between a good boss and a bad one.
Was nice about it and explained why. It's not a random, power driven thing. It makes things easier in this case.
Load More Replies... I don't call or text, I just log into paycom on my phone and put in a sick day. Paycom sends my supervisor an email. 🤷🏼♂️
I won't text, because I refuse to let my employer have my personal cell phone number. I have a landline in my house that I use for them. Giving them your cellphone number let's some think that they can call or text you whenever.
totally understand that. i work from home 3 days out of 5, so i give people outside of my office (vendors, reps, ect) my landline number. only people in our company have my cell, and they don't abuse it at all. 99% of our communication is via email.
Load More Replies... I always text my boss unless it really requires a call. He does the same. I work in HR and I'm cool with both but if I prefer a quick text unless it's an emergency.
These people just immediately claiming it's boomers is part of the generational gap issue. I've had gen X bosses be more aggressive with calling in than any boomer I've had. It's not about their age usually, it's about their person.
I'm a boomer and I'm quite happy with modern technology.
Load More Replies... Ask the manager. In my company we use chat. The chat app (Microsoft Teams) is also available for the phone (but I don't have it, because I don't want to have chat notifications off work! People can call me or text me if there's really an emergency). If chat doesn't work, then I would say send a text/SMS. It's just so that managers are very occupied with meetings, so they cannot answer the phone. I don't ever use the phone professionally. We don't have phones on our desk anymore. You can audio call via chat and or make a video call and/or and share the screen. Depends on the job of course, if it's manual labor and not in an office it's another situation, but for a desk job it seems to me phone calls and voice mail is old fashioned and inefficient.
How stupid. Join the modern age. Reminds me of a boss I had who insisted I have a fax. I was like, just scan and e-mail. No. Had to fax. Felt a million years old.
As a manager in IT, calls are for emergencies only. I get called 24/7 and may have been up working on an outage until 5AM. I dont need you calling me at 6AM for something as trivial as not coming into work. If you're calling me for a sick day then you'd best be asking me to help you in some way.
Hmm, every single company I've ever worked for, German, American, British, has always insisted that you call your line manager as soon as you know your not well enough to attend. Perhaps its a cultural thing here? I always used to leave a message around 6 or 7am on their desk phone, and follow up a bit later in the day. To send a text or email would be considered quite rude, even today in my country and depending on how well you get on with your boss could lead to disiplinary action especially if a regular sick day taker. We get fully paid sick days, Doctors note required if 7 days and and over, it does not affect holliday time at all.
Guy doesn’t want his texts to end up on one of those horrible boss listicles. Much better to be horrible on a phone call that can’t be posted.
As a manager, I don't care if you send a carrier pigeon. As long as you let me know before your shift starts, then any method of communication is fine. In fact, texts/emails are better because then we both have a record of it. :)
I'd do whatever the boss told me to do in that situation. If they wanted me to call, I'd call. Or text I'd text... js
My work's policy is you're supposed to call your manager within 30mins of your normal start time. I start around 6am, my boss starts at 9 (I finish 3hrs earlier so no issue for either of us). I think he'd kill me if I called at 6am and woke him up! I email so he can pick it up when he logs on. That way, whilst not calling I am notifying in line with process and he's happy I'm not waking him and his family up!
One should communicate in the way that the manager/company is happy with. Our lot use WhatsApp, but I'm not on that; I can use email on my phone, so I can do that if ill in bed.
Thank you for writing such an informative post and interesting article. Oracle Fusion Financials Online Training
We have a 'call only' policy because most call outs occur in the wee hours of the morning. Text noises are sometimes not heard. While we follow up through text so it is written down, phone calls are more likely to be picked up. No excuse necessary, just "I'm sick today" is all we need. Bonus: Get the supervisor's voicemail! No talking with people!
We've never been given direction on what to do, just to notify the boss. I tend to email, but call when it's short notice.
I can read a text that pops up in less than 5 seconds, but a phone call takes all my attention and time for its duration. Text is best.
You're better of Texting (and Saving). Phone calls are so easily denied to have happened
If your sick or have a sore throat and can't really talk it's annoying to be forced to call in. Why is it deemed unprofessional to text? We aren't children. I may sound okay on the phone but it doesn't mean I am. I don't want to have to put on some pretend 'sick' voice like I've been stabbed because I had some mild food poisoning and was up all night and need a day to recuperate. Plus, isn't it actually illegal to even ask us why we're calling out? Unless it's for more than 3 days straight, you aren't allowed to ask for anything anyway so what the helI? If you don't want a text, then you also aren't allowed to text me with duties or reminders. You also aren't allowed to text me when you are asking if I can come in to cover a shift.
Our policy is that you send either an email or use Teams to at least let your boss know you can't make it in. Preferably let your co-workers know so they can start picking up the slack right first thing in the morning. and finally please let the receptionist know so they can reschedule any appointments that might need to be moved.
My boss and I have always texted if not coming in. Professionalism, or this manager's definition, went out the window with the advent of social media.
Yes don't text, just call. So the day they want to fire you, you will have no proof.
What many people don't understand is that calling off or taking off days in appropriate advance with allotted time isn't an asking for permission thing. It's a notice that you will not be coming in that day. Also, anyone who expects the employee to find their own coverage should take a pay deduction. You're the manager, so how about you manage your team.
i text and add, call me if you need to. so if my boss wants to discuss anything (like what needs to be done that day), she can. she never tries to get us to work if we aren't feeling up to it. i've even called out after a particularly bad bout of insomnia. sometimes life just gets in the way!
I’m not the one to be notified, but still get a call every once in a while. I usually tell whomever is calling in sick that I’ll let their supervisor or department manager know. However, next time they need to text or use the employee portal to make sure it’s documented. I tell them I don’t want their supervisor mistaking claiming they didn’t call in. With a text or webs message, it’s documented and they’re safe.
Our work phone doesn't always get answered, so it's easier to text or email. When I have people working a Saturday with me I prefer they text me before we start just so I know they're not coming. At the moment there aren't enough of us on a Saturday but we make do. I'm also on the floor working.
Idk why it's so important to work while you're sick. While you're sick your body is in emergency mode and putting in extra work already and overworking while you're sick could make it worse or get other people sick or costumers sick. It's hard to work if you're barely functioning
I never call, I always text, or IM if I've been at work, or e-mail if my boss isn't available. They prefer that as well. This is 2023. Get over yourself. I work as a professional, and even at that level, we don't "call" in sick. Ever.
If I wake up in the middle of the night with a family emergency or a severe illness, do you really want me to call you and wake you up? If am handling an emergency, I am not going to want to try and guess what time is acceptable to call or have you worry about calling you later. Or if I am sick I am going to try and go back to sleep as soon as I can. So either I call you in the middle of the night or you get a text. I will say that if you have never communicated with your boss over text, then it might not be the most appropriate way to communicate your pending absence.
It's your place of employment, not a youtube comment section. Calling off by text is just lazy, and suspect. Lying in text is easy.... Edit: please ignore me, I work in a civilized country, meaning that we actually have a good relationship with our bosses. I forgot, that most antiwork articles are targeted at enslaved Che Guevara's.
totally unrealated but how do you edit a bp comment ??
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