Read This Before You Call In Sick In New York State

We’ve all made the “I’m sick” call to our boss at one time or another. It happens.

A bad cold, a bad bite of sushi, a bad hangover, or just being in a bad mood are all valid reasons to stay in bed under the covers and call it quits for the workday.

And although our bosses may not agree, guess what? It’s fine. 

In reality, spreading germs to your co-workers because you feel guilty of missing a day of work is worse than taking some time to heal yourself. 

Sick Leave Laws In New York State

Federal law actually doesn’t require employers to provide paid sick leave to its workers. However, several states have their own laws in place, including here in New York.

In the Empire State, employers that own a business with five or more employees and an income of $1 million or more are required to provide paid sick leave for all of their employees; up to 1 hour for every 30 hours that they’ve worked. 

(Note: The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows employees to miss work for several months if they meet certain qualifications, but it still doesn’t cover regular sick time off. You can find out more here.)

The Most Common Reasons To Call In Sick In NYS

Flamingo discovered the most popular reasons that people miss work, and I think a lot of us can relate. 

The most popular reasons were:

• Stomach bug (54%)
• COVID-19 (25%)
• Anxiety or Stress (9%)
• Injuries (6%)
• Other (6%)

But before you pick up your phone and call your boss to tell them you won’t be in today, take a beat. 

You’ll want to read this next thing first. 

This Is How Most Employees Tell Employers They’re Sick

It turns out that when employees “call in” to work, most of them aren’t even calling at all. 

Flamingo found that a whopping 54% of people will text their boss to notify them they’ll be out sick, or use an app like Slack or Whatsapp. 

Only 33% of workers will do it the old-fashioned way and give their employer a call, and 12% prefer to send notice through an email. No need to practice your “ugh, I don’t feel good” voice anymore! 

We know it’s a stigma that still needs to be worked out, but frankly, if you are sick, you should stay home and get better. Don’t go to work.

You’re not a better/stronger/more productive/more dedicated employee if you show up to work feeling like garbage. 

If you work when you’re sick, you’re dumb. 

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But it’s okay, we’ll forgive you. You’re sick. Take some Nyquil, call your doctor, slurp some chicken soup, and watch some reruns of “The Office.” 

If you’re genuinely worried about keeping your job just for calling in sick, please look into the resources below:

NYS Paid Sick Leave

Family Medical Leave Act

American With Disabilities Act

Just don’t be one of the 2% of employees across the U.S. who “no call no show” and don’t give their bosses any notice at all that you're not coming in. 

Even if your employer is a jerk about it, there are laws out there to protect you--but as we know from dating apps, ghosting never ends well.