A millennial influencer has divided opinion by telling people in their twenties to ‘call in sick’ to go to concerts, holidays and events they want to attend.
Abbie Curls, who splits her time between London and Bristol, is sharing tips for people younger than her in the run up to her 30th birthday.
The 29-year-old admitted that pretending to be ill to get a day off work is something she did ‘all too well’ in her twenties and that she has ‘zero regrets’.
But people were quick to slam the advice as ‘selfish’ and said that she is
She said: ‘Your favourite artist is playing at a festival but you can’t go because you’re in for the 12 til 9 shift on the Saturday. Call in sick.
‘Your friends are going on a long weekend staycation but you’re working the Friday and Monday so you can’t go.
Abbie admitted that pretending to be ill to get a day off work is something she did ‘all too well’ in her twenties and that she has ‘zero regrets’
‘Call in sick and go and have a good time. What do you mean you cannot go?’
Abbie claimed that in ‘most jobs’ you’re given a ‘set amount’ of sick days per year and added that she used up ‘every last one of those days and a couple of extras.’
The content creator said she did not face negative consequences from calling in sick when she used to work in offices.
‘You best believe on those sick days I was having a good old time doing something fun,’ she added.
‘I know a lot of people will not agree with this piece of advice but honestly I think I gained more in life from what I was getting up to on my sick days than what I would have if I just went to work that day.’
She caveated her video by saying that her advice ‘only applies to jobs you really don’t care about’.
The Instagrammer used an example of part-time work whilst studying for a degree or a job you see as temporary just for the money.
Abbie then stated: ‘Don’t be calling in sick to a job which is important to you and in the field of the career that you want to pursue.’
She gave some examples of why she used to pretend to be ill, which included going to PR and networking events, group trips and social events with friends and family birthday celebrations.
Abbie claimed that in ‘most jobs’ you’re given a ‘set amount’ of sick days per year and added that she used up ‘every last one of those days and a couple of extras’
Abbie gave some examples of why she used to pretend to be ill in the caption of her clip
Abbie then apologised to ‘all the managers and parents out there’ with her advice for younger millennials and Gen Z.
She ended the clip by saying: ‘Do not tell your bosses I told you to call in sick because I don’t want no trouble!’
But social media users had split opinions on her advice, with some calling it ‘terrible’ and others saying their life is worth more than their job.
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.
‘I got a C on that class and I couldn’t apply for a 10k grant for school. Next day, the person showed up tanned and hungover because she went to a festival in south [California].
‘She lost her job and I lost the opportunity to apply for financial help for school. If you call in sick and it’s not a real emergency, at least check in with your co-workers. Terrible advice. Just saying!’
Abbie then responded to this and said: ‘It’s definitely all about discretion. It sounds like you were working in a small business where one person does directly affect another.
‘In those circumstances I wouldn’t call in sick if I knew it would jeopardise someone else in the way you described.
Social media users had split opinions on her advice, with some calling it ‘terrible’ and others saying their life is worth more than their job
‘The jobs I’ve been in have been massive corporations 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 penned: ‘Book your holiday in advice like an adult. Or, call in sick, build a reputation for being unreliable and wonder why 18 months later your hard-working colleague is now your manager.’
Abbie then wrote back: ‘I go on too many trips that my holiday would allow.’
A third commented: ‘I always remember this. If you died today your job would be [advertised] the next week. Prioritise yourself, always.’
A fourth said: ‘I’m surprised people are against this! Your life is worth way more than the sh***y retail job that would replace you in a heartbeat without a second thought! Call in sick!’