5 reasons you shouldn’t take a day off work – unless you’re truly sick
Calling into work can definitely be tempting, especially after a late Thursday night of cocktails with your girlfriends. However, no matter how tempting it is to take off the time from work, don’t do it. You’re probably wondering: what’s the harm in taking a day off from work, especially if I get paid vacation time and sick days? Well, there’s actually quite a lengthy list of repercussions and ultimately it’s just not worth missing work for any reason – unless you’re truly sick.
If you’re contemplating chancing a cheeky day off then you should consider one of these five reasons when deciding if the time off is really worth it:
You’re going to be a day behind at work.
No one is going to be checking those emails while you’re away from work. If you plan on being more productive after your day off, you may want to think again. Taking a day off from work for a “mental health day” is definitely no excuse for you to miss work. Even if you plan on using time at home to tackle that workload, you still can’t make up for that lost time in the office. Save yourself wasted time and force yourself to go to work, even when you really don’t want to.
It’s simply unprofessional to take time off.
Taking unscheduled time off can make your co-workers question your work ethic and dedication to the job. Sure, from time to time everyone has something come up in his or her schedules; however it’s important not to allow those events to prevent you working. It’s one thing to take off for the afternoon if you have a doctor’s appointment, but there’s no sense in taking the entire day off so you can go shopping beforehand.
Your boss may question your dedication.
If you find yourself always taking one Monday per month, your boss and even your co-workers could view your time off as excessive. When you’re constantly asking for time away from the desk – especially for events unrelated to your health or family-related emergencies – it can show a lack of dedication to your position and your employer. By avoiding unnecessarily taking personal days, when you actually need time off from work for a serious event, your boss will trust you and not question your request.
You risk the chance of missing an important meeting.
Taking a day off from work can mean you can miss anything at the office. Whether it’s an important meeting or some type of unannounced work-related event, you run the risk of missing out on these opportunities. Although the mornings you wake up feeling ill are truly unpredictable, try to avoid missing work so you don’t miss out on important events and meetings.
When you actually want to go on vacation, the time is no longer there.
Vacation days can definitely add up when you’re using one each month for personal time. For example, if you’re planning to go on a trip this year, you may want to reconsider the time you’re using for your personal days. In the long run, after not using those valuable personal days, you’ll be thanking yourself for the time you saved; especially when you have escaped to the Caribbean for two weeks.
Regardless of how badly you want to stay home so you can stay in bed all day to sleep or watch your favorite TV show, it’s definitely not worth it to take the time off from work. Hopefully, by reading these valid reasons for not calling into work, you’ll be able to make a better decision about the next “mental health day” you were going to have.
Do you think it’s a bad idea to take time off from work? Share your thoughts below!
