No matter what your ailment is, you need to know how to successfully call in sick if you work at Walgreens in order to keep your job.
And luckily, we have all the information and Walgreens attendance police and calling in sick in this article.
How to Call in Sick at Walgreens
To call in sick at Walgreens, you need to call your store and speak directly to your manager. It’s important that you explain your symptoms clearly and accurately. Although you can only call in sick 5 times in 1 year at Walgreens, 3 consecutive days only count as 1.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Phone number for calling in sick at Walgreens: You need to find the number of your store online.
- You get 5 sick days per year at Walgreens.
- If you make a no-call, no-show at Walgreens, you will likely be terminated.
Now, if you want to understand everything there is to know about calling in sick at Walgreens, read on! It’s all right here.
Can You Get Fired for Calling in Sick at Walgreens?
First, you need to know that you can get fired for calling in sick at Walgreens.
However, that being said, it is highly unlikely that Walgreens will terminate you just for calling in sick. Especially if you have not violated Walgreens’ attendance policy.
One way to ensure you do not get fired is to ensure you know the answer to these 2 important questions.
- How early before your shift should you call in sick?
- What do you say when calling in sick?
Realistically, you should call in sick as early as possible. But if you are supposed to be working the morning shift, you need to know what happens if you call in sick too late.
And there’s good news there’s really no such thing as too late! At Walgreens, technically, you can call in even after your shift has started. And it will still count as calling in sick.
So even if you forget to call the night before or even before your shift, you should still call! As we will learn shortly, the worst thing to do and the most likely way to get fired is to not call at all.
Can Walgreens Force You to Work if You Are Sick?
Legally, Walgreens cannot force you to work if you are sick. But, they could threaten disciplinary action if they believe you are lying about being sick or you have used too many sick days recently.
The best way to ensure your Walgreens manager doesn’t try to force you to work if you are sick is to be honest and specific about your symptoms.
And you are more likely to be excused from your shift without issue if your symptoms are contagious.
Therefore, when you call in sick, you should say: “I have a sore throat/ cough/ fever, etc., and do not want to infect my coworkers or Walgreens customers.”
How Many Sick Days Do You Get at Walgreens?
The Walgreens policy states that employees get 5 sick days within the calendar year. And usually, until you surpass this limit and call in 6 times within the year, you will not be penalized.
There is also a helpful aspect to the policy that is unique to Walgreens. It states that if an employee calls in sick up to 3 days in a row because of the same illness, it only counts as 1 sick day!
However, after calling in 6 times, it still doesn’t necessarily mean Walgreens will fire you. It’s far more likely that you will first receive a verbal or written warning. And you will only be terminated if the behavior continues.
But what should you do if you are out of sick days and cannot come in for your shift?
In this case, you will need to use your accumulated paid time off if you don’t want to get in trouble.
And the best thing about Walgreens PTO is that you can use it retrospectively. That means you can call in sick on the day. And then apply to use your PTO later so that it doesn’t count as a sick day.
What Happens if You Make a “No Call, No Show” at Walgreens?
Finally, and most importantly, you should understand that a no-call, no-show at Walgreens could lead to termination.
Unless there are extenuating circumstances that your manager approves of, it’s likely that they will fire you for a no-call, no-show.
Therefore, as you need to contact your manager directly to call in sick, you also need to know what to do when the store is closed.
To call in sick when the store is closed, you should call your store’s direct line. Then, after the automated message, hit 7-2-2 on your keyboard. You will be directed to a voice mail service where you can explain why you won’t be at your shift.
Another way to ensure you call in sick without getting in trouble is by contacting your manager directly. And you can do so by texting or calling their personal number.
Not all managers give out their numbers to employees. But you should ask your manager if you can save theirs in case of emergency.