A millennial influencer has divided opinion by urging twenty-somethings to “call in sick” to go to concerts, vacations and events they want to attend.
Abbie Curls, who splits her time between London and Bristol, shares tips for people younger than her in the run-up to her 30th birthday.
The 29-year-old admitted that she faked being sick “really well” in her 20s to get a day off and that she has “zero regrets” about it.
But people quickly called the advice “selfish” and said she was too
She said: ‘Your favorite artist is playing at a festival, but you can’t go because you have to work from 12 to 9 on Saturday. Call in sick.
‘Your friends are going away for a long weekend, but you work Friday and Monday so you can’t go.
‘Call in sick and go have a good time. What do you mean you can’t go?’
Abbie claimed that at ‘most jobs’ you get a ‘set number’ of sick days a year and added that she used up ‘every last day and a few extras’.
The content creator said she didn’t experience any negative consequences from calling in sick when she still worked in an office.
“You can be sure that on those sick days I had a lot of fun doing fun things,” she added.
“I know a lot of people won’t agree with this advice, but honestly, I think I learned more in life from what I did during my sick days than what I would have if I just went to work that day .’
She warned her video that her advice “only applies to jobs that don’t really interest you.”
The Instagrammer used an example of working part-time while studying or a job that you consider temporary, purely for the money.
Abbie then said, “Don’t call in sick for a job that is important to you and in the career field you want to pursue.”
She gave a number of examples of reasons why she pretended to be ill, including attending PR and networking events, group travel and social events with friends and family birthdays.
Abbie then apologized to “all the managers and parents out there” with her advice for younger millennials and Gen Z.
She ended the segment by saying, “Don’t tell your bosses I told you to call in sick, because I don’t want any trouble!”
Social media users were divided over her advice, with some calling it “horrible,” while others said their lives were worth more than their jobs.
One wrote: ‘I couldn’t finish a final project because someone called in sick. The manager said I would leave early, but it got so busy that I had to stay until closing time.
“I got a C in that class and I couldn’t apply for a 10,000 grant for school. The next day the person showed up tanned and hungover because she had gone to a festival down south [California].
“She lost her job and I lost the ability to apply for financial aid for college. If you call in sick and it is not a real emergency, at least report this to your colleagues. Terrible advice. Just say it!’
Abbie responded to this saying: ‘It’s definitely about discretion. It sounds like you worked in a small business where one person directly influences another.
‘In those circumstances, I would not call in sick if I knew that I would be endangering someone else in the way you described.
‘The jobs I’ve worked in have been large companies where my input is so minimal that I wouldn’t really have been missed and there would always be someone else to step in.’
Another wrote: ‘Book your holiday in advice like an adult. Or call in sick, build a reputation for unreliability and wonder why your hard-working colleague is now your manager 18 months later.’
Abbie then wrote back: ‘I’m doing too much traveling than my holiday allows.’
A third commented: ‘I always remember this. If you died today, your job would be [advertised] the next week. Always prioritize yourself.”
A fourth said: ‘I’m surprised people are against this! Your life is worth a lot more than that shitty retail job that you would replace in a heartbeat without even thinking about it for a second! Call in sick!’