What to say when calling in sick with diarrhea. This can be a tricky one. Neither you or your boss want to discuss the details of your bowel movements. A good way to phrase this is: “I have a GI bug and I won't be able to come to work.” If the diarrhea is related to a known food poisoning, you can bring this up, too.
You Have Diarrhea or Other Stomach Trouble
In general, you'll need to stay home for at least 24 -hours after your stomach symptoms subside to make sure you aren't contagious.
"I was sick all yesterday evening and I'm still feeling nauseous this morning. Because I don't want my illness to get worse or to pass along my infection to my coworkers, I'll be taking a sick day today so that I can hopefully feel better by tomorrow.
Just be honest about your situation. Spare the details. Your boss doesn't need to know all the dirty details of your illness. Just tell them that you're sick, with what if you want, and that you can't make it to work that day.
Dear Sir, This is to inform you that I will not be able to attend the office today as I have been suffering from diarrhea from last night. This has led to continuous vomiting and loose motions and the doctor has advised me to take some rest before I resume work.
“Hi [Manager Name], so sorry for the last-minute text message, but I've had an unexpected illness come up, and I will have to take a sick day tomorrow. I've contacted [Name], who will be able to cover my shift in my absence. I hope to be better and able to work the following day, and will confirm with you tomorrow.
Gastroenteritis is a medical term for a stomach virus. Many people call it the stomach flu. It is not the same as influenza. That is a respiratory illness.
I started feeling unwell yesterday evening, and I feel even worse this morning. I'm not feeling well enough to come to the office, and I don't want to risk passing anything on to anyone else. I'm going to take a sick day today to recover. Hopefully, I will be able to come back to work tomorrow.
You may feel like you are doing the responsible thing by hiding the truth from your manager. Going to work when sick could endanger numerous customers and other employees. Be responsible and report any of the above symptoms to your manager and stay home to avoid spreading of the illness.
When informing your boss about your sick leave, keep things to the point without over-explaining your illness and symptoms. Instead, briefly explain why you're taking a sick leave (e.g. contagious illness such as flu and cold, stomach flu or family issues) and state your approximation of the period you'll be away.
When writing or sharing your request over the phone, be honest and keep it brief. For example, “I'm not feeling well today, so it's best I stay home. I'll let you know if I'm better tomorrow,” is an acceptable way to call in sick.
Keep your message simple and brief. Sarah, I've come down with the flu and won't be able to make it into work today. I'll be taking the day to rest and recover, and will be back in the office as soon as I am able.
Keep it general. You don't need to say the specific condition you have, if you don't feel comfortable. Rather, feel free to leave it as “digestive issues,” “cramps,” or a “GI condition,” as that's usually the most detail that people want or need to hear anyway. You can share as much or as little as you'd like.
If your company uses emails or phone calls to communicate when you are outside of the office, just follow the crowd; do the same. But if they have not decided on that yet, use common sense. If your boss is also your friend, and you communicated with them through text before, then it is totally fine to text in sick.
If you normally text with your employer, texting in sick would be acceptable. However, if communication is normally done via the phone, sending a text might not be appropriate. Also, asking someone else in the office to pass along your message typically isn't appropriate.
Most managers disapprove of employees texting them in contexts that fall outside of casual communication. For example, only a third of the managers Vejby interviewed found it acceptable for staff to report in sick by text.
You may not know you're contagious at first. The flu can cause you to be highly contagious one day before symptoms develop and up to seven days after becoming ill. Likewise, if your symptoms are digestive (nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea), stay home until you're feeling better.
Call your doctor right away if you have: Blood in your diarrhea or black, tarry stools. A fever that is high (above 101 F) or that lasts more than 24 hours. Diarrhea lasting longer than 2 days.
If you believe you acquired food poisoning, go ahead and let your manager know that's the reason you won't be making it into the office. Going into graphic detail about your, uh, bodily functions, isn't going to strengthen your case or make you feel better.
Bland, starchy, low-fiber foods like those included in the BRAT diet (bananas, bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) are binding, which can bulk stool and help you get rid of diarrhea fast. You can also try probiotics, glutamine supplements, or home remedies like herbal teas and rice water.
The best last-minute excuses to miss work include personal illness, family emergency, doctor's appointments, child care, mental health challenges, death of a loved one, and household problems. In fact, any unforeseen circumstance that requires your attention is among the best last-minute excuses to miss work.