# Why is taking a day off work with a hangover unacceptable in society? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 9, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268 "2016-08-09T18:43:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/41 "2016-08-10T01:34:51Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Sure you can. Or I can. Plus everyone’s puke sound is different. I could even imitate my wife’s puke sound, and her friends’. Well. I didn’t know that was a thing. Do you use this technique often? Honestly, I’m a little perplexed this is even a question. You don’t get hammered on a Sunday night if you have work on Monday. If you do make this choice, it’s a choice to prioritize recreational drinking over your means of income and to brush off your commitment to your coworkers and superiors. So, it’s bad. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/42 "2016-08-10T02:12:07Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Well. I didn’t know that was a thing. Do you use this technique often? Not really. Only when the subject of puke sounds comes up. Then I demonstrate and gross everyone out. People have learned to stop inviting me to parties finally. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/43 "2016-08-10T02:15:08Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Had a neighbor with the same complaint. “I like to go out and party, what don’t they understand about that?” > > I would reply, “They do understand that you like to go out and party, that’s why they are mad at you.” > > After he was fired, he was also surprised when the bank foreclosed on his house. “I don’t have a job, what don’t they understand about that?” > > I feel bad for people in bad situations, even if they, through mistake or error nin judgement put themselves there. I don’t have too much sympathy for someone who doesn’t’ learn from same. > > 21 Year old with his first hangover, I could forgive. An “Adult” with a hangover, at my most charitable, I would feel has a drinking problem, which is sad, but it is not my problem to fix. > > OTOH, I have used drunk/hungover as an excuse when my employers were calling me in to work on my day off, even when I wasn’t. Not my responsibility to be sober on my day off in case you can’t mange your schedule. I remember reading something many years ago that was written by a public figure (I can’t remember who) was was a recovering alcoholic, and she said she was in an elevator and overheard one woman telling another that the reason she hadn’t come to work the day before was because she’d had too much champagne at her anniversary dinner the previous evening. She said she knew immediately that this woman was NOT an alcoholic, because an alcoholic would have lied about it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/44 "2016-08-10T02:54:01Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > I, like most people, have woken up at some point with the hangover from hell. I also expect most people have at one time or another phoned in sick (or skipped some prior arrangement) - but the thing is, they probably lied. Why don’t we tell the truth? > > It’s a legitimate physical sickness. It’s not a legitimate sickness unless you were attacked and forced to drink alcohol. It’s a self induced sickness brought on by a lack of willpower. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/45 "2016-08-10T02:57:50Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I once had an employee call me at 6 am to call off. Fine. She should have called the manager, who deals with that kind of stuff (it’s what she’s paid to do), but oh well. > > She went on to explain to me that she couldn’t work because of an especially heavy menstrual flow. I heard a graphic, detailed description of her current difficulty, a synopsis of her previous menstrual problems, along with other related pathology (also of a gynecological nature). I had to reach down and lift my lower jaw back up into position. > > All this before coffee. > > Hungover? > Cool. I have to call off occasionally because of endometriosis. Usually, I just call in sick. I once had a terrible micromanaging boss who grilled me about the details of my private medical condition. It was awful. I hated that bitch. ‘‘I’m not feeling well’’ should be sufficient. If your boss can’t handle ‘‘I’m not feeling well’’ there’s probably a trust issue, either because you’re not showing up enough or they have control problems. OTOH, I had two epileptic seizures in a row one day at work and they had to call an ambulance and it was a whole thing. Afterward, they requested I post emergency protocol for future seizures on my cubicle wall. It’s sort of embarrassing that anybody who walks by my desk immediately knows I have epilepsy, but it at least makes sense. And I do tend to give HR the details of any changes because eplepsy is a protected disability that genuinely affects my work efficiency, and I want to cover my own ass. Honestly, given the legitimate chronic health conditions that so many people have to manage and still get their work done effectively, it’s pretty terrible to manufacture your own health condition via uncontrolled drinking and then expect sympathy for it. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/46 "2016-08-10T03:28:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I find the best way to discourage inquiries as to the nature of my illness is to imply it’s something GI-related. Almost no one wants details of your bowel movements, so they will generally leave you alone. Gynecological issues work nicely for this purpose, too. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/47 "2016-08-10T03:36:28Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Honestly, given the legitimate chronic health conditions that so many people have to manage and still get their work done effectively, it’s pretty terrible to manufacture your own health condition via uncontrolled drinking and then expect sympathy for it. I should clarify I don’t mean this as a slam against people with alcoholism. There is a big difference to me between struggling with an addiction and just going on an irresponsible drinking binge because you can. I don’t necessarily think an employer should be overly accommodating to people with alcoholism, either - an employer has to prioritize productivity to effectively manage any business, and it’s not doing the alcoholic person any favors for them to suffer zero consequences - but it’s at least more understandable to me from a human perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_gnomer/32/3466_2.png) [@Miss\_Gnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/48 "2016-08-10T08:08:16Z")
I had a boyfriend who felt being hungover was a legitimate excuse to skip a date / day outing. He put it to me in similar ways to **guitario** , that it was just a mistake, everyone does it at some time and that I was the one with the problem because I took it personally. He’s no longer my boyfriend. To me it is very simple - you have prearranged commitments (work or something else) and you chose to drink (and chose the consequences of drinking) over those commitments, you don’t deserve a “free pass”. It is not a legitimate excuse, no matter the celebration. Drinking to excess is only one way to enjoy an evening, you can choose another way. I’ve never had a day off because of a hangover and will never have one due how I choose to behave. My ex seemed to believe it was a cultural thing (he was from the UK) and that it was perfectly normal for a night to go too far and that he had no control over it. **Spice Weasel** put it better than I did! So many real sickness are not considered valid! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/49 "2016-08-10T15:42:30Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > But as I said earlier, every one of us makes mistakes on a daily basis. Yes, yes we do. Make enough of them that negatively impact your job performance and you will likely be fired. That’s the way life works. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/50 "2016-08-10T18:11:33Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > I actually am the opposite to this. As a guitar teacher, I prefer it when people postpone and cite their reason, even though I’m fully aware they have no need explain. In return, if I ever have to rearrange, especially if it’s short notice, I will tell them why (obviously keeping details relevant). It’s also dependent on the relationship between me and the student, or in the thread scenario, boss and employee. If you get on well, or are friends, then honesty goes a long way in my opinion. I tell people too. I say something like “I’m not feeling well today. I won’t be able to make it into work today.” I just don’t see a reason to go into more detail than that. If you’re very ill and expect to be sick for days then sure you should communicate that. That just doesn’t seem to rule out being discreet about your particular malady. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/51 "2016-08-11T12:46:08Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > I do agree, there is no need to explain exactly why… although I’ve had managers who love to play doctor. I worked for a female manager who insisted that when we called in sick, we had to say what we were sick with. The staff, of course, revolted. Our supervisor was male, and we had to call in to him, and he’d relay the information to the boss. So female employees started being very direct about problems with menstrual cramps and heavy flow days and other female joys. Rules changed damn quick. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/52 "2016-08-11T15:41:33Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > I tell people too. I say something like “I’m not feeling well today. I won’t be able to make it into work today.” I just don’t see a reason to go into more detail than that. > > If you’re very ill and expect to be sick for days then sure you should communicate that. That just doesn’t seem to rule out being discreet about your particular malady. Exactly. I don’t think I’ve ever gone into much more detail than that, even when actually sick, much less when playing hooky for job interviews with other companies or because I went to a last-minute concert the night before and didn’t get home until like 2 am. It’s important to set a pattern; if you always offer up too much information, and then suddenly give out a little bit of vague info, people are going to wonder, and vice-versa- if you’re typically vague and suddenly go into detail, people are going to wonder. But if you describe your near-death flu experience as ‘not feeling well’, and your “mental health day” as "not feeling well, then nobody’s the wiser. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/53 "2016-08-12T03:30:22Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > Has anyone actually owned up to their boss about their reason for staying home? If so, what happened? Are you a manager yourself? If so what do you think? IMHO, an employees relationship with drugs and alcohol is treated very differently depending on what type of job he has. I’ve worked at places that have a bit of a “Wolf of Wall Street” mentality where people will drink until all hours of the night. Often financed by senior management’s expense accounts. Typically, as long as you don’t show up drunk or hungover in front of a client and you get your work done, it’s more or less accepted. Sometimes people just show up late to the office or “work from home”. I suspect that low-level workers tend to work in an environment that is fairly intolerant of such behavior. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/54 "2016-08-12T17:49:34Z")
In addition to what others have said, contrary to popular belief, it is not a common thing for people to drink so much, especially on a weeknight, that they are unable to function the next day. It suggests either an immaturity or an alcohol problem, neither of which are desirable traits in an employee. To keep from making the boss have that opinion of you, you lie and say you have the flu, etc. ---
**Author:** ![guitario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@guitario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guitario)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/55 "2016-08-12T18:32:55Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > IMHO, an employees relationship with drugs and alcohol is treated very differently depending on what type of job he has. I’ve worked at places that have a bit of a “Wolf of Wall Street” mentality where people will drink until all hours of the night. Often financed by senior management’s expense accounts. Typically, as long as you don’t show up drunk or hungover in front of a client and you get your work done, it’s more or less accepted. Sometimes people just show up late to the office or “work from home”. > > I suspect that low-level workers tend to work in an environment that is fairly intolerant of such behavior. I think your last point is a yes and no - depending on how you look at it. When I worked in a major supermarket (with 600 employees), there was obviously a high turnover of unskilled staff… it’s easy for them to get rid of you. But on the flipside, because the work is so menial, you could do your job half dead and nobody would notice. > [@UltraVires](#): > > In addition to what others have said, contrary to popular belief, it is not a common thing for people to drink so much, especially on a weeknight, that they are unable to function the next day. It suggests either an immaturity or an alcohol problem, neither of which are desirable traits in an employee. > > To keep from making the boss have that opinion of you, you lie and say you have the flu, etc. It all depends on your age and which culture you are from/living in. In the UK, especially if you’re a student or in your twenties - going out on a weeknight is as normal as a Friday or Saturday. Thursday’s tend to be quite popular, even busier in some venues than Friday nights. > [@Magiver](#): > > It’s not a legitimate sickness unless you were attacked and forced to drink alcohol. It’s a self induced sickness brought on by a lack of willpower. That’s a rather limited view on things. There are many illnesses and diseases caught via reckless behaviour - it doesn’t make them any less legit. Also, getting drunk and a lack of willpower can be mutually exclusive. Either way, whether it was self induced or it was ‘forced’ upon you - the end result is the same, it’s still a sickness. It’s medical term is ‘Veisalgia’, or ‘f\*ck it, I’m never drinking again!’ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/56 "2016-08-12T18:35:41Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > I think your last point is a yes and no - depending on how you look at it. When I worked in a major supermarket (with 600 employees), there was obviously a high turnover of unskilled staff… it’s easy for them to get rid of you. But on the flipside, because the work is so menial, you could do your job half dead and nobody would notice. And on the environment. Showing up half dead to my current job (pure IT) may get you sent back home but the worst consequence will be a sea of rolleyes. Showing up half dead at a job as a production worker in a chemical factory, working with all those things that have skull-and-crossbones signs on the label? Don’t do it. Just don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268/57 "2016-08-12T21:50:53Z")
> [@guitario](#): > > It all depends on your age and which culture you are from/living in. In the UK, especially if you’re a student or in your twenties - going out on a weeknight is as normal as a Friday or Saturday. Thursday’s tend to be quite popular, even busier in some venues than Friday nights. No, it’s not dependent on age or culture. It’s dependent on the willful action of the individual. Your logic that going out on a Friday or Saturday because everybody does it equals a hangover or legitimizes it is flawed. > [@guitario](#): > > That’s a rather limited view on things. There are many illnesses and diseases caught via reckless behaviour - it doesn’t make them any less legit. Actually it does. If you play with deadly snakes and one of them kills you it’s your fault and nobody else’s. If you play mumbly peg or Russian Roulette and can’t make it to work then it’s your fault. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-taking-a-day-off-work-with-a-hangover-unacceptable-in-society/762268.md?page=2)