You might be surprised by how supportive your employers are once they know what’s going on. Consider the workload and upcoming deadlines before requesting a personal day. It’s best to choose a time when your absence will have minimal impact on your team and projects. Taking a personal day is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and taking care of your well-being. Research shows that employees who take regular personal days have higher job satisfaction and are less likely to experience burnout.
But it can be necessary when dealing with losing a family member or close friend. For example, if the power is out, you likely won’t be able to log in to any cloud-based platforms. And while you could hot spot with your phone, that could get expensive, and your phone will run out of power eventually. You might have to drive for miles just to find electricity, presuming it’s safe to drive anywhere. Another advantage of remote work is that when the weather gets rough, you can skip the commute and work at home. However, if that weather is very rough, working from home, a coworking space, or even a coffee shop may not be an option.
You’re Navigating a Family Emergency
By being honest but vague and avoiding over-explanation, you can strike the right balance between professionalism and maintaining your privacy. Taking a personal day can be essential for maintaining your overall well-being and work-life balance. It allows you to recharge, address personal matters, or simply take a break from your daily routine. However, when informing your supervisor or manager about your absence, it’s important to find the right words to convey your message effectively. They are knowledgeable about company policies and can provide you with the necessary information regarding personal days.
- By knowing and adhering to these policies, you can ensure that you are taking advantage of personal days fairly and responsibly.
- Remember, there’s a reason why most employers offer both sick days and paid time off (PTO).
- Remote work often comes with a lot of flexibility in where, when, and how you work.
Even other less creative jobs require optimal mental health. Calling out from work every once in a while is understandable, but it should not become a pattern. If you find yourself frequently taking days off, it’s time to reevaluate if your job is a good fit. If good reasons to call out of work you can help it, avoid waiting until the last minute to call out unless it’s an emergency. But more than that, you’re also showing a lack of respect for your manager and team members. You might need to take off a few hours or an entire day to get it repaired.
Extreme Weather Conditions
In these situations, it’s important to address the issue promptly to prevent further damage. Again, let your supervisor know as soon as you can that you’re handling a problem. If you can, offer to work remotely or make up the time later in the week.
While taking such leave, inform your manager about the condition in advance. If you think you can manage, you can also ask for a remote work day to complete urgent tasks at work. Sudden home emergencies requiring immediate attention from you are valid reasons to call out of work.
Managing Workload After a Personal Day
Take some time to grieve before returning to your professional responsibilities. There are bound to be days when, despite your best efforts, you’re just not in the best mindset to work. And with so many remote workers also having to juggle kids at home with online school and other new responsibilities amid the pandemic, people’s mental health is suffering. Finally, stay in touch with your company as much as possible.
When you are on leave, you can’t just simply do it without explaining why. This will cause unexplainable resentment if you are found to be lying. Therefore, the reason for the leave should be properly explained. It would be better to let the start and end of your off days be known to the management. You can also let your boss know that you’ll need to take a test. This is a really genuine reason to give your employer because it is important to attend the exams.
Reduced feelings of burnout, isolation, and anxiety are just a few additional benefits to keep in mind. But sometimes, a flexible schedule isn’t enough to help you tackle the unexpected. If one of the above reasons pop up, it’s OK to call off work. It will give you the time to deal with whatever it is and come back to work ready to go. However, one of the challenges of working remotely is maintaining a boundary between work and personal time.
Here are a few tips & some best excuses to miss work when working remotely. For example, if you’re ill, too weak to work, and need to stay in bed, that’s a good excuse. While only a few states require paid leave, a lot of private employers https://remotemode.net/ – even those not covered by the FMLA – provide a certain amount of paid maternity leave voluntarily. If you’re responsible for an elderly, they might experience a health crisis or other emergency situation that requires your presence.