Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Call your boss
• Part 2 of 3: Keep up the good work
• Part 3 of 3: Prepare for the Call
• Tips
• Warnings

Each of us from time to time needs an unplanned day of rest or psychological relief. Unfortunately, your workplace probably won't appreciate your spontaneous absences, and for good reason. But fortunately, there is still a way out of this particular situation - to pretend that you are sick. Obviously, this is not a technique that can be used too often, but it will provide you with the necessary break. In order to successfully inform the boss about your illness, you need to convince your colleagues that the day before you really felt unwell, and in a telephone conversation with the boss, let him know that you are very sorry that you have to stay at home due to illness, while not overplaying too much their role.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Call your boss

1. 1 Call your supervisor early the next morning. Don't delay - the sooner you tell your boss, the better. In addition, after waking up, you will have a rather rude voice that inspires additional confidence. Plus, if you call early, you're more likely to stumble upon your boss's voicemail or be caught off guard. Calling late can make it look like you don't respect your boss at all.
   • Keep it short. Yes, to know literally everything about your "illness" is good, you must remember that long fables are usually told by liars. Don't go into details, just say you don't feel well and won't come. Give the boss as much information as he needs to believe by saying something like, "I haven't slept all night," or, "I have terrible stomach problems."
   • You can also say, "I know I should have warned you yesterday at the end of the day, but I was hoping that I would get some sleep and it would go away." Without being too cliché, demonstrate how much you really hoped and wanted to get the job done.
2. 2 The voice should sound painful. Don't go overboard, but it doesn't hurt at all if your voice is really mildly painful. In addition to your morning hoarse voice, you can occasionally sniff and cough so that the boss thinks you are sick rather than pretending. You can also speak slower and quieter to show that you are completely exhausted. Rehearse this conversation out loud to make it more convincing.
   • If you want to give your voice more hoarseness, you can shout into the pillow for about ten seconds before calling. However, remember that this can hurt your throat, so make sure it's worth it.
   • Try to appear slightly distracted and disoriented. If you talk too energetically and immediately answer any question, you are unlikely to believe that you are sick.
3. 3 Prepare for questions. Is your boss nosy? Try to imagine what questions might arise. For example, if you work in the food service industry, it will likely be important for your boss to know how contagious you are. You will also likely be asked if you tried your best to clean up. Better to stick to the following policy: say that you think you are contagious and that you have tried all possible medications (pain relievers, antacids, drank more fluids, etc.), but to no avail.
   • Incidentally mention that you called the clinic. At times during the peak cold and flu season, making an appointment with a therapist can be difficult and you have to wait several days. If, after returning, the boss requires a sick leave, you can always say that it will be provided no earlier than at the end of the week. You will have time to go to the doctor.
4. 4 End the conversation on a good note. At the end of the conversation, try to leave the most positive impression possible. Promise to do whatever it takes to recover and return to work the next day, and thank your boss for understanding. Without going too far, share how committed you are to the job and that you are ready to return to your duties as soon as possible. Let your boss feel that you are sorry for missing a day, rather than show that you can't wait to sit in front of the TV and don't care about work.
   • You can even ask your boss to contact you with any questions if you think he really needs your help. If you are ready to be disturbed during a fictional day of illness, you can say: "I will be in bed all day, so call if I need to ...". But do this only if you think you can't do it without you.
   • At the end of the conversation, thank your boss for understanding.

Part 2 of 3: Keep up the good work

1. 1 Continue to feign illness when you return to work. Do not go to work after an illness with an absolutely healthy look. Pretend that you are still experiencing the unpleasant consequences of the disease. Blow your nose a couple of times or cough. Do not overdo it or pretend to be a martyr back to work. Do not mention the illness - if the employees deem it necessary, they themselves will take an interest in your well-being. For more credibility, you might say something like, "I really don't feel that bad anymore," or, "I just need one good night's sleep and everything will work out."
   • If you want to look especially believable, you shouldn't get enough sleep the day before to look exhausted and exhausted at work. This will increase your credibility in anticipation of your next fictional illness. Plus, this will give you an excuse to stay up longer.
   • Be more discreet that day. Don't be very friendly or chatty with coworkers and refuse invitations. Remember, you still need to conserve energy.
2. 2 Don't tell your coworkers that you were pretending to be sick. You may feel that you are very close to them and will never be betrayed, but be extremely careful about divulging your secret.Your coworkers won't pat you on the head for this, but they will find you irresponsible and annoying. In addition, if at least one employee lets it slip and it gets to the boss, you will not only run into serious problems, but you will never be able to get a day off again due to a fictitious illness.
   • In addition, absenteeism due to a fictitious illness will make management more suspicious if you become seriously ill in the future. You don't want to make excuses for the rest of your career, do you?
   • We all need a day off from work from time to time, and there is nothing wrong with that. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you need to brag about absenteeism, because this way you will only demonstrate your frivolous attitude to work.
3. 3 Be friendly with management. When you return to work, treat your boss especially well. You shouldn't mention the illness or thank him for his understanding, but work with a good attitude and give only positive emotions to the leader. Remind him how amazing you are, and don't leave even a shadow of doubt about the authenticity of your illness.
   • Don't be overly friendly or talk non-stop about how much you love your job and how much it means in your life.
4. 4 Have a productive day at work. Back at work, do your best to achieve the result. This is not a good day for an hour late, two hours of personal phone calls, or booking a tour for your next vacation. Instead, spend all the time at work, attend meetings, respond to emails on time, and do whatever is necessary to make a good impression.
   • If you like to complain about your colleagues when you come to work, then when you return from an illness it is better to cool down your ardor and be a little more positive. You don't want your boss to hear your complaints after you skip the day, do you?
   • It's okay to pretend to be sick from time to time, but if this weakening becomes a habit, you can lose your job. Do your best to work with pleasure when you return from illness.

Part 3 of 3: Prepare for the Call

1. 1 Pick the right moment. You may think that any day is good for a fictional illness, but if you really intend to feign illness, think carefully about all the details. If you pick a bad day, it will be much more difficult to prepare a convincing case. So make sure everything works out the best for you before you go ahead with your big plan. Here are some details to keep in mind:
   • Prepare to be especially persuasive if you decide to call on Sunday or Monday. It will be much more difficult for your boss to believe that you have been feeling unwell over the long weekend.
   • The number will not work if you have been sick lately or have taken a lot of weekends.
   • Do not feign illness after a conflict at work or after you have complained a lot about life. You don't want your boss to take your fake illness as an insult. The disease will look much more convincing if everything was great on the last working day.
   • Try not to skip especially unpleasant work days on purpose. If your boss knows that you hate terrible monthly meetings, you shouldn't feign illness on that particular day, as much as you would like to.
2. 2 Learn some of the basics. If you plan to feign illness, do your best to appear sick the day before without being too intrusive. You should not fake a cough all day, but show some discomfort and even sniff a little, provoking colleagues to ask about your well-being. Act like you’re sick, but deny it so that coworkers don’t suspect you of pretending. Set the stage the day before to make the reasons for your absence more convincing.
   • Be discreet the day before.Being too energetic one day and getting sick the next day will surprise people. Don't accept dinner invitations or have fun the night before.
   • As if by chance, ask your colleagues for an antipyretic.
   • Blow your nose a little more often than usual.
   • When dining with coworkers, do not eat the entire portion to make it look like you have no appetite.
   • You look a little messy. Tousle your hair, don’t wear the best outfit, and try to mark signs of fatigue around your eyes.
3. 3 Know the internal and external signs of the disease. The boss may not ask unnecessary questions, but just in case it is better to know more about the fictitious illness before calling. Instead of saying that you are not feeling well, say that you have a migraine, an upset stomach, or a cold; this will make your case more convincing. Be prepared to answer any manager's question, such as when did you feel unwell, when did you go to work, and did you call a doctor at home. Don't seem vague, or your boss will suspect you.
   • If you want to skip a few days, pick up the appropriate disease. A migraine or a complex case of gastroenteritis can incapacitate you for a couple of days, worsen at any time, and with such diseases it can take up to several days in a hospital bed. Redness of the eyes or strep throat may last longer. Whichever you choose, study the disease carefully so that you can discuss symptoms with understanding.
   • You could even rehearse a conversation with a close friend to make sure you can handle it. Your boss may not want to go into the details of what's going on with your stomach or throat, but it's best to be prepared.
4. 4 Be prepared to be calm at home. Pretending to be sick, you should not walk with your wife or throw a party. Otherwise, the news about your active social behavior will probably reach your superiors. So pretend to be sick when you really want to lie in bed, be at home and relax. In general, do what you do when you are sick, minus feeling unwell.
   • Plus, if you spend your sick day outdoors and return to work with a tan, you will look rather suspicious.
   • It would be nice to temporarily exit all social networks. This way, the manager will not stumble upon photos of your adventures during a debilitating illness or comments that raise suspicions about your poor health.

Tips

• Do not tell anyone that you are going to pretend to be sick, otherwise there is a chance that they will tell the boss or others, and then you will get into trouble!
• Try not to beg for a day off on Mondays and Fridays, otherwise it will look like a desire to extend a successful weekend. The sick call on a typical Tuesday inspires more confidence. Also, do not leave your employees to fend for themselves if you need to complete any important project in a very short time, as such negligence will jeopardize your working relationships, especially with those who suspect you of pretense.
• Build your reputation. By coming to work on a day when you are really sick, you won't even give your boss a chance to think that you are faking when you want to get an unplanned day off. As soon as you appear completely sick at the door several times (especially with an infection), the manager will be grateful that you took time off, and finally listened to colleagues advising you to stay at home on such days.
• If you really get sick and need a sick leave, then ask the doctor to close it a little later than actually necessary. Then show up for work ahead of your sick leave schedule, which will show you how conscientious and dedicated you are, spending even less time on illness than is required.In addition, such a sick leave can be entered into a personal file, and it will become your proof if the time of illness is questioned in the future. Note that some companies do not allow you to return to work until sick leave is closed, so if you try to return to work before your sick leave date, your employer will likely send you home.
• Do not "schedule" the day of illness in advance. If your boss discovers that you told people about your illness today, say, two weeks ago, there is a great chance of losing your job.
• If not only you, but also your friend wants to take a day off, try to do it at different times.
• If you have a profile on one of the social networks, do not forget to update your status by writing something like: “What a problem, I feel so bad ... I'm making chicken broth,” and in principle, that's enough. The last thing to do when you are in a fever so bad that you cannot go to school or work is to update your status in the style of "go shopping", "going to the pool", "skiing" and so on. Further.
• Having an impeccable reputation at work can help nullify all doubts and suspicions on the part of superiors and colleagues. If you are known as a not particularly hardworking employee who constantly strives to slip away from any job, then most likely the absenteeism number will not work.
• If you have urgent business, but still want to rest, go to work early in the morning. Take care of what you need and stay calm. If anyone asks what happened, just say you don't feel well. When you decide to leave, go to your boss and tell them that you are sick and have to go home. Do not ask, but state a fact. Explain that you have dealt with all the urgent tasks planned for today, and the leader will definitely have nothing to say.
• If you go to the beach on a day off, don't forget sunscreen. Showing up at work the next day looking like a boiled crawfish can be embarrassing and also incriminating.

Warnings

• Your absence from work affects your colleagues. Think carefully before placing your responsibilities on someone else's shoulders or leaving someone in trouble.
• Ultimately, if you need days off more often than you might expect, reconsider your attitude towards work. Perhaps work is simply unbearable for you and you only ruin your health with worries, anxieties and resentments. In this case, think carefully about changing jobs or even career directions.
• Don't use the death of one of your relatives as a reason for absence from work. The boss can easily convict you of a lie and you have no credit of confidence in case someone really dies.
• Walking around is not a good idea, because lying can put your coworkers in unwanted stress. If you have problems at work, talk about them privately with your boss and he will definitely help you.
• Some employers are introducing unconditional absentee fines program. Check your contract or employment agreement, as some companies fine workers for absences, regardless of whether or not they have sick leave. Be careful with truancy, as your job may depend on it.