Certain things may appear simple to some, but it’s a different story to those in the professional space. Yes, It’s normal to call in sick at work; it’s normal to experience diarrhea, and there’s nothing weird about that.
But as to professionalism at work, it demands that you communicate everything clearly and correctly. Asking for a leave from work because you have a diarrhea infection might sound sour to you.
What if you woke up with diarrhea and couldn’t make it to work that morning? Deep down, you still want to show commitment to the job and appear as responsible as possible, but all that stooling won’t let you.
So now it’s urgent because you must inform your boss why you were absent that day. How do you go about this?
What reason can you give your boss for being absent from work without having to say the word diarrhea?
Continue reading to find out how to professionally tell your boss you have diarrhea and why you should call in sick.
10 Simple Ways To Professionally Tell Your Boss You Have Diarrhea
here is a list of how to professionally tell your boss you have diarrhea in 10 simple ways.
- Inform Your Coworkers
Diarrhea symptoms are not subtle, it always comes with a rush, and most times, there isn’t enough time to think of the right words to say to your boss about why you can’t come in for work that morning.
The best way you can go about this is to tell a colleague you are closest to at work or one who is effective enough to help tell your boss. At the same time, plan on writing that standard mail or letter. Your boss may be more receptive to seeing it from a third party; then it must be severe.
Your boss might then call to ask about your health; this way, you could tell your boss you have a diarrhea infection.
- Ask For A Letter Or Medical Report From Your Doctor
As long as you seek leave from work due to an illness, It’s always advisable to get a doctor’s report stating your health condition. Information from your doctor is vital as it will help let your boss know you were telling the truth.
Professionalism at work requires certain legalities, and having a legal document stating why you were absent from work is quite an excellent way to go about things.
Your doctor should include in the report that the illness could be contagious; that way, you shouldn’t be around people until the symptoms are entirely clear.
- Say You Have the Stomach Flu
It might be uncomfortable to tell your boss that you have a diarrheal infection. You could say you have stomach flu or stomach bug.
These phrases should sound more professional to say to your boss. Your boss will get that you are dealing with digestive issues and since you are not sure the type of flu yet.
Saying you have the stomach flu should be enough, and if he needs further explanation on the illness, that is something you can provide information on when you resume, and your boss will be patient.
- Don’t Go Into So Many Details
It is possible to get overwhelmed when explaining the details of your illness to your boss directly because it is the reason you can’t show up to work that particular day.
You might end up providing unnecessary information, which might come across as gross. Avoid extensive details, like how uncontrollable your stooling has been and how frequently you vomited, all that isn’t required. Ensure to cut down on the details.
- Call Your Boss As Soon As You Can
Getting on the phone with your boss could be all that is needed. That way, your boss hears your voice, and by the tone of your voice, your boss can know the state of your health.
And through the phone conversation, you will know whether or not your request was granted. And you be sure you passed your message.
You could send a formal mail or letter later on. Calling is an excellent start to informing your boss of your sickness, which is the main aim.
- Tell Your Boss As Soon As Possible To Avoid Trouble At Work
You should reach out to your boss about your health on time. It won’t be nice if you stay absent from work and nobody knows about it.
Whether through a call, mail, or a random message to your colleague to help inform your boss of the reason for your absence. You could ask a friend or doctor to reach out if you can’t call.
By reaching out to your boss, your boss will be sure of your commitment to the job. No matter what the case, maybe ensure calling in on time.
- Follow Up To Know If You Can Work From Home
Diarrhea can take about four days or more before the symptoms can completely clear. If you feel better between those days, you could check in at work to find out if you can start working from home.
Working from home will reduce the workload on your table upon your resumption and show that you are interested in what might be happening at work. If you can’t work from home, that’s OK. Just ensure you call from time to time.
- Give An Estimated Time On When You Plan On Resuming
Another good thing is being exact about when you hope to return to work again. You might not be so sure, but you must give a timeframe on when you believe you will be OK to resume.
So they know you have plans of returning, and they don’t consider replacing you on the job while you are away.
You could say, “I am not sure when I’ll resume, but I will try to be available in the next four days,” or you might as well say, “as soon as my tummy doesn’t feel sick anymore” they are always ways you can put it to keep them on the loop.
- Go Over The Lines Of What You Need to Say
If You want to avoid going into unnecessary details of pieces of information, practice what you need to say. Illness could sometimes make you run blank on things to say, and you want to avoid being caught between lines talking to your boss.
When talking to your boss, remember that you are sick, and there’s absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. It would be best if you had left work; to communicate this clearly, you must be audible enough.
This is how you can come across as professional while telling your boss about the stomach flu or diarrhea you are having.
- Send A Formal Letter With An Attachment Of The Doctors’ Report
Absent at work requires stating your reasons in an official letter or mail. You need more than just informing your boss of your sickness over the phone. You want to come across as professional as possible.
It would be best if you were careful with the information you send in the mail to avoid coming across the wrong way.
Can I have a sick day today? I’ve been down, and I would appreciate some time off.” These are some things you could say. Keep your mail or letter short and simple.
Conclusion
Having diarrhea is enough reason to call in sick at work, considering the disturbing symptoms associated with the illness.
How you communicate this to your boss is also essential, hence, your absence from work. I hope the ten tips mentioned in this article on “how to professionally tell your boss you have diarrhea” is found helpful.
Kindly comment via the comment box to share which tip was most helpful to you.
