Pull a sickie to go to interview?

[Deleted User]

I guess next time, you could go out of the way to try and find out in advance when interviewing will happen so be even more pro active that way. (You don't state how much notice you were given in the first place). Certainly that is what I'd be doing with working under such an inflexible employer. Though you could display how much you hate working there and it also backfire. Boss: I'll pay you to get out of my business as you keep going sick - Seen this before and it's not pretty. (This more a result of holiday decline) but it goes on.

When ever I have rescheduling of an interview it has always resulted in a decline.. And I can't imagine someone from an official organisation wanting to stay on to see someone out of hours if any consolation. Mindful of bribery and all that.

I'm not convinced going sick is ever best. Have missed/self cancelled interviews and then had them come up again knowing I've absolutely nothing to feel guilty over is just the greatest so I hope the role comes up for you again, you never know. Honestly.

Wonder if there is an official most popular day of the week for interviews.. Have a very lucky friend who just can't wait to start working weekends for a day of during the week for if/when the need arises to go interview hunting! : how bad! But that is probably how they are going to manage.

Sanne

It's a tricky one. I've been in the situation once, team of four and two were already off that day so couldn't get any leave. I have lied and said I had to accompany my mother in law to hospital as she had some tests done and wouldn't have managed on her own. My husband would then take over midday so I'd only need half a day.

Was nerve wrecking though as I had to walk past work in my trouser suit (I lived down the road) - not exactly what you'd wear to take someone to hospital! All went OK though, I git the job and, when later asked when I went for the interview, said last Friday after work.

When I left my next job I had to take 1/2 day off for an interview at short notice, could take holiday but had to lie why as normally I had to give more notice. As it happened, I bumped into my boss (HR Director!) on my way to the interview, again smartly dressed. Eek.
Luckily, by the time I had been home after the interview to get changed and was back at work I had already had the call with the job offer so no awkward explanations. Had I not been able to take holiday for this though I guess it would have looked quite bad.

When I last went for an interview my boss knew and had told me I should just say I'm working from home as I had no holiday left. I told my team at work that I had a long conference call and wouldn't be contactable and had to work from home as I didn't have a desk phone at work. Was nervous all the time though that someone could find out as it would have been real,y awkward (I'm working in IT and was the escalation point for all sys admins so any server meltdown would have meant them contacting me).

So... Guess you need to judge if it's worth the risk but yes, I have lied on a few occasions as have most people I know though I have never gone sick for one.

pinkshoes

What time is the interview?

Could you phone in sick with a nasty bout of the squits, and if you get spotted, say you are just out to buy some immodium?

Could you then go back to work feeling better afterwards?

sortofwinning

Thanks so much for all the recommendations and feedback! Sanne, that was a very close shave, good for you for holding your nerve. There are some ingenious solutions in the above replies (Tigsteroonie I do like yours!), so I'm going to save this thread and then I'll have to think pretty hard about it.


Basically I think my only option is to take on board some suggestions above, otherwise I'll never be able to get out of this job. It said in the NHS interview letter that I could not reschedule, but those are good ideas about trying other legitimate options, Paisted and Starlet.

greenbee

sortofwinning wrote: »

It said in the NHS interview letter that I could not reschedule.

That's crazy. They must only be looking for people who are currently unemployed! Most employers understand that they need to contact candidates to agree a mutually acceptable date and time - and that this may well be outside normal working hours.

sortofwinning

I agree Greenbee, it was really unfair. It penalises people already in jobs. It's so hard to get an interview these days, let alone a job.

Malthusian

Plenty of other fish in the sea. As Greenbee says, most employers a) would prefer someone already in work to someone unemployed (as unfair as it is on the unemployed) and therefore b) take a sensible attitude to agreeing a mutually acceptable time and date, especially for those already in jobs. It doesn't hugely surprise me that the NHS do not take a sensible attitude.

I don't really buy the excuse that the NHS has patients to look after, lots of workplaces are constantly busy and doctors and nurses surely do not spend their ward shifts conducting interviews, they have managers for that.

Dental appointments are usually an excellent cover for job interviews. There is no need to invent a fictitious illness or dead grandmother on which you might get caught out, and you have a ready-made excuse if you get a second interview, the "follow-up appointment".

GlasweJen

My previous employer wouldn't allow time off for anything. If he didn't get 6 weeks notice of holidays/appointments/childcare arrangements then you weren't getting the day off.

We were open 7 days a week and he would often schedule people for 4 full days and 2 half days. There was no set days off so I couldn't even say "oh I'm off on Wednesdays if we could reschedule?".

I got an interview for my dream job, working in a hospital eye department. I asked on here and decided to go for it, called in sick and explained I was going to go to the hospital for a check over (I've had a transplant so being sick is serious for me so going to the hospital is not out of the ordinary). I bumped into my bosses daughter at the hospital, just said hi and explained I'd got up and ready for work before OH insisted I call in sick and go to hospital so that was fine. Got offered the job and practically skipped out of work 6 weeks later.

For a man who hated having me around he took ages to fill in the damn reference, I eventually wrote my own and got him to sign it!

ETA I was interviewed by the charge nurse from the eye ward and she's always busy so yeah, interviews were scheduled around busy times on the ward.

sleepymans

I would apply for a half days leave to enable the interview, but tell the boss you MUST attend a family funeral so regardless of the staffing situation you will be absent.

DKLS

As per sleepy mans suggestion I would go with either Funeral, or urgent medical appointment if the company is so inflexible about leave.