Many times in our lives, we may have encountered instances where we cannot go to our jobs because we are not feeling well. However, in different scenarios, we cannot write the correct words that will tell your boss about the genuineness of the situation. Because there are many fake scenarios, it can become difficult for your boss to grant you leave. This is where your communication skills come into play regarding how you will let your boss know the truth you are telling about how you are feeling.
How to tell your boss you’re sick by text message?
To correctly write a call-in sick text message, you must begin the message with a greeting and the boss’s name. A note should be short without details of your sickness. The best way to call in sick is to write one short sentence about your absence and emphasize the expected return date in the message.
At the end of the message, you must apologize for the inconvenience caused.
You should first assess the company’s policy regarding whether there is an environment for texting your boss. If there is no policy in the company, you should avoid doing it, not to sound unprofessional. Furthermore, you should ensure that you have a relationship with your boss to text them without saying they are too inexperienced.
Whenever you text in sick, you should include the full details, including how many days you require off and whether you will be working online (given the COVID-19 pandemic). Many companies have shifted to online work.
You can let the company know exactly when you will get back to work and then wait for the appropriate response from the company.
You should keep the speech very direct and politely request you take the day off.
You should remember the following pointers as well:
- Always do direct communication. You should contact the HR department or your supervisor and do not ask anther coworker to act as a communicator for this job.
- Informing in advance: It is always better not to wait until the last minute to message the supervisor. If possible, you should give the information the night before or as much in advance. You can also return your pending tasks to avoid inconvenience in the company because of your delayed work.
- Be brief: You should ensure the message is not too lengthy. You most likely should ensure the message is conveyed in two to three lines.
- Retain a professional attitude: You should ensure your text does not sound too casual while texting. Be aware of all the punctuation and grammatical errors as well.
- Follow up: if you get the reply to the message, then it is okay. However, if you do not, after waiting for a specific time, you should call and ask them if they got the text. This is because there are many cellular issues your message might not have brought through, and it is always good to clear issues or miscommunications earlier.
- Face-to-face communication: If you have an injury or need some time off for a longer time, you must have direct contact with the HR department or your supervisor. If possible, you can have a written note from the doctor and take your reports to ensure that communication is done effectively.
Sick text message examples for one day only
“Dear [Boss’s Name],
I regret to inform you that I feel unwell and would like to request a day off tomorrow [or the specific date]. I will catch up with all my pending tasks once I return to work. Please let me know if any urgent matters need to be addressed before I take the day off.
I appreciate your understanding.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
“I woke up today feeling pretty bad. I should take the day off and rest to return tomorrow. I’ll try to be on email as much as I can. Thanks for your understanding, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Or you can try this prevalent simple sick text message:
Hi [Boss’s Name],
I’m not feeling well today and will need to take the day off to visit the doctor and rest. I hope to be feeling better by tomorrow, but I will keep you in the loop after my appointment. In the meantime, [Coworker’s Name] has offered to help out in covering my shift today. I appreciate your understanding.
Best,
[You Name]
Here are more examples:
- “I feel sick today, and, unfortunately, I cannot come to the office in person. However, James (or any other coworker’s name) has agreed to submit the pending tasks. So, hopefully, I will be present tomorrow.”
- “I am not feeling well and would ask if you would grant me a day off.”
- “I am sick with flu and fever and cannot work efficiently. So the doctor has given me medication and asked me to rest, after which I will be doing well till tomorrow.”
- “I have been feeling sick since yesterday and will need a day to rest and regain my energy. So I will come in tomorrow.”
- I have [sickness] and need to take a sick day today. [Coworker’s name] already agreed to cover my shift for the day, and I should be feeling better tomorrow to return to work.”
- “I’m not feeling well today, so I don’t think I can do my job productively or efficiently. I must take the day off, but I will catch up on what I’ve missed tomorrow.”
- “I’ve come down with [sickness] and need a sick day today, but I’ll be back at work tomorrow. I don’t want to get anyone else in the office sick!”
Sick text message examples for more than a day
“Dear [Boss’s Name],
I am writing to let you know that I feel unwell and need to take two days off from work, starting from [date] to [date]. I understand that this may cause some inconvenience, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
I will catch up with all my pending tasks after returning to work. Please let me know if any urgent matters need to be addressed before I take the days off.
Thank you for being so understanding.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
- “I feel bad today and, unfortunately, will not be able to come to my office in person for the next three days. James (or any other coworker’s name) has agreed to submit the pending tasks for these days. I will keep you updated about my situation.”
- “I am not feeling well and would ask if you would grant me some days off. I will visit the doctor today and update you accordingly.”
- I am sick with the flu and fever and cannot work efficiently this week. I cannot come to work tomorrow or for several days. The doctor has given me medication and asked me to rest for some days.”
- “I have [sickness] and must take the rest of the week off. [Coworker’s name] already agreed to cover my shifts for the rest of the week, and I should be feeling better enough to return to work on Monday next week.”
- “I came down with [sickness] yesterday and visited the doctor who recommended I take a few days off. So I will return to work on [return date]. In the meantime, [coworker’s name] will be helping with my workload, and I’ll be able to pick up where I left off when I return.”
- “I need to take today and tomorrow off from work but should be set to pick up again after. I visited a doctor because I have [sickness] — let me know if you need a doctor’s note, and I’m happy to get you one.”
- “I was not feeling well and visited a doctor who thinks I may have [sickness]. So I’ll need to take some sick days to recover. I’m unsure how long I’ll be out, but I will keep you posted on how I feel over the next few days. In the meantime, [coworker’s name] will help with my workload.”
- “I woke up not feeling well, so I’m going to the doctor this morning. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it in today, but [coworker’s name] will cover my shift, and I’ll let you know my status once I get back from my appointment.”
- “I have been feeling sick since yesterday and will need some days to rest and regain my energy. So I will come in after two days.”
Sick text message examples when you are unsure about the number of days
“Dear [Boss’s Name],
I am writing to inform you that I am feeling unwell and need to take some time off from work. I am not sure how many days I will need to recover, but I will keep you updated on my progress.
I will make sure to catch up with all my pending tasks once I return to work. Please let me know if there are any urgent matters that need to be addressed before I take the time off.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
[Your Name]”
If you are uncertain about the number of days, you should inform your supervisor precisely by including this in your message. It would help if you also said you would update the supervisor, but it’s too soon to tell. Here is an example:
“I feel terrible today and cannot come to my office in person. James (or any other coworker’s name) has agreed to submit the pending tasks for these days. I will update you about my situation as I am unsure how long it will take me to be well.”
“Dear Co-workers,
I am sorry to inform you that I have fallen sick and will not be able to come into the office today. However, James has kindly agreed to take care of my pending tasks for these days, and I will keep you updated about my condition as I am currently uncertain how many days it will take until I am fit enough to return to work.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but rest assured that I will do everything I can to recover quickly so we can get back on track as soon as possible. I appreciate your understanding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]”
Sick text message examples if you plan a doctor’s visit
You should mention this in your message if you are visiting the doctor. Here is an example of how to include a doctor’s visit in your notice:
“I feel under the weather today and, unfortunately, will not be able to come to my office in person for the next three days. James (or any other coworker’s name) has agreed to submit the pending tasks for these days. I will visit the doctor today for my checkup and update you about my situation accordingly.”
How to tell your boss you have diarrhea in a text message?
Usually, a message should be short without details of your sickness. However, you can use in text messages diarrhea synonyms such as “gastrointestinal distress,” “stomach upset,” and “sour stomach.”
How to respond to an employee texting in sick?
You need to respond to an employee’s text with a greeting and tell in the message that you are prepared to grant X number of days to the employee. Additionally, you need to wish for a quick recovery, like in this example:
“Thank you for the letter. I grant you a two-day leave from Jun 13 to Jun 15. I wish you the best for a quick recovery.
Take care.”
After leaving Wells Fargo Bank in 2014, Daniel began a career as a finance consultant, advising companies and individuals on economic policy, labor relations, and financial management.
At Nimblefreelancer.com, Daniel writes about personal finance topics, value estimation, budgeting strategies, retirement planning, and portfolio diversification.
Read more on Daniel Smith's biography page.
Contact Daniel: daniel@nimblefreelancer.com
