It’s amazing enough someone decided to emply you, but the fact that they actually pay you for turning up still surprises you. More amazing is that if you are sick, or decide to be “sick”, they still hold your job for you until you return. The challenge; you have to let someone know about your sickness.
Regardless of how sick you are, from a scale of not sick at all, but fancy a day off, to having potentially minutes to live, you never quite sound sick enough. How can people believe you aren’t fit for work if you sound well? You practice talking, adding in a cough from time to time. You talk with a little less volume and a little more gravel in your voice. Maybe a touch of whimper. You’ve got it nailed, so go for the real thing, calling in with your lines and voice prepared.
You finish the call, not knowing if you’ve been convincing enough. Does anyone actually believe you’re unwell? Will you be found out? You return to work, and find that nobody even realises you were gone.
Lesson – people don’t notice as much as you think
