Skipping work a sin?

[DianaS]

Is skipping work and lying that you’re sick a sin? How serious (mortal)? Also, is there a difference between how important the job is (part time college, or your career)? Please help. Thanks.

 

[glenconnor]

The best advice on whether or not something is a sin will always come from a trusted priest or deacon at your parish. I’m not trying to avoid the question, just saying that it is a good habit to get into. I had committed a sin years ago that was tormenting me as I pursued RCIA. Finally I could bear it no longer and I had to ask the priest about it. He assured me that there was nothing to worry about in that particular instance, and the relief I felt was immense.

 

[LilyM]

My own take (which isn’t gospel by any means) is that our work, whatever it be, is a sacred trust given to us by God.

For six days God worked at the task of Creation, hence His rest on the seventh. By working we participate in His great works.

Not that He needs to rest, He deliberately did so to make the point both that we need to work, if we have work at hand, during the week, and that we need to rest on Sunday and keep it holy to Him.

St Paul speaks in his epistles about how he kept working at his trade of tentmaker (sounds like a fairly humble one) wherever he went so as not to be a burden on others. He did this even though he didn’t consider he strictly had to.

I’d say unless you’re genuinely at least a little poorly it’s probably a sin to call in sick. Your bosses and colleagues depend on you to turn up and work, and you put unnecessary burdens on them by failing to show. Like St Paul indicated, we should avoid doing that if possible.

Does it depend on the type of job? That can probably be a factor in the seriousness of the sin, I wouldn’t say that it’s ever not a sin though.

Of course there’s the secondary issue of the blatant lying. No mitigating circumstances there, no lives being saved by your lie or whatnot, just self-indulgence.

 

[wjp984]

I am almost positive it is a sin. To what degree, I don’t know.

 

[DJgang]

If you allow them to pay you sick time…that would be sinful as well.

Sometimes you just need to be honest. You’d be surprises how a boss might respond.

 

[DianaS]

Thanks for all your answers. I was pretty sure it was a sin, just wasn’t sure how serious but I got over that and went to work. I couldn’t handle the guilt if I didn’t go. Again, thanks for all your replies.

 

[chevalier]

Thanks for all your answers. I was pretty sure it was a sin, just wasn’t sure how serious but I got over that and went to work. I couldn’t handle the guilt if I didn’t go. Again, thanks for all your replies.

You did the right thing. Lying is not okay and not doing the work one’s paid for is not okay, which applies to many things we do over the whole course of our work, not just the day we pull off something bigger. If you really are feeling bad for reasons not clearly associated with a bodily disease, you can still go to a doctor that deals with that (not sure if psychologists can give doctor’s leave) - perhaps, depending on where you are, even a GP could give you a couple of days of legitimate doctor’s leave due to stress and being overworked to the point you need rest or it would be harmful to your health.

 

[kage_ar]

If you have PTO time, simply call and say “I need next Tuesday off for a personal day” - nothing to lie about.

 

[1ke]

Lieing is a sin against the 8th commandment.

Defrauding your employer by getting paid sick time when you are not sick is a sin against the 7th commandment.

Since when have we become so immune to sin that this question must be asked?

Did you really not know that lieing is a sin?

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I once told my boss I was taking the next day off for “illness and fatigue”. I did explain to him that that meant I was “sick and tired” of the place.

He responded that he wished he had thought of that earlier. I had a lot of uncompensated overtime; so was entitled to the time off.}