Calling In Sick to Amazon: A Detailed Guide for Employees

Hey there! If you currently work at Amazon, or are considering an Amazon job, you‘re probably wondering about their policies around taking sick days. I know calling in sick can cause major anxiety if you don‘t understand the consequences.

As an experienced Amazon seller, I want to provide you with a thorough guide to Amazon‘s sick leave policy. I‘ll share insider tips to avoid running into issues when you need to miss work due to illness.

How Do I Actually Call in Sick to Amazon?

Let‘s start with the logistics of calling in sick. Here are the steps every Amazon employee needs to take:

• Submit a leave request on A to Z app. This app is where all Amazon employees manage schedules and time off. You simply select the “Request Unpaid Time Off” option and choose the dates/times you need to take sick leave.

• Email your manager. In addition to putting your absence in the app, you must directly email your manager to inform them. Explain you won‘t be coming in and already requested the sick time off in A to Z.

• Call the attendance hotline. Most Amazon warehouses have a site-specific attendance hotline number. Give them a ring and leave a voicemail that you need to call in sick.

• Provide a doctor‘s note if asked. Amazon may request a doctor‘s note or other verification if you take 3+ days off consecutively. Be ready to furnish medical documentation.

Following this 4-step process ensures you comply with Amazon’s call-in procedures. I know calling in can feel intimidating, but it helps protect you from attendance violations.

How Amazon‘s Attendance Points and Infractions Work

Amazon takes monitoring attendance very seriously. Any unplanned absences can lead to "points" on your employee record. Here‘s a breakdown of how their system works:

• Unpaid Time Off (UPT): Employees receive up to 80 hours of UPT per year. This is your sick/personal allotment. UPT is deducted hour-by-hour even if you miss part of a shift.

• Infraction Points: You get 1 point for most attendance issues like missing work without approval, arriving late, or leaving early.

• Termination at 6+ points: If you accumulate 6+ points over a 180 day period, Amazon will terminate your employment for poor attendance.

• Points Expire: Points stay active on your record for 180 days. If you get no further points during that time, they eventually expire.

• PTO prevents points: Using paid time off (PTO) to cover absences means you won‘t receive infraction points for those days missed.

Let me break this down further:

• Taking unpaid sick time from your UPT when you‘re ill does not result in points.

• But if you miss work without having UPT available, you‘ll be slapped with points, which can build up to termination.

I‘ll go over how many sick days Amazon offers and whether they are paid or unpaid next.

Here‘s the Deal with Paid Sick Leave at Amazon

I wish I could tell you Amazon offers paid sick leave, but unfortunately their warehouse employees only receive unpaid time off. Here‘s what you need to know about sick pay:

• Unpaid UPT only: When you call in sick, the time comes from your UPT bucket. You do not get compensated for those hours missed.

• No state sick pay laws: Amazon has eliminated company sick pay policies as a response to state laws requiring it. All sick time now deducts from UPT.

• PTO allows pay: Employees can choose to use paid PTO instead of unpaid UPT if they want to actually get paid for sick days. But Amazon discourages using PTO as sick time.

• ~10 sick days annually: With the standard 80 UPT hours, employees get about 10 unpaid sick days off per year.

• Temporary COVID pay: During the pandemic, Amazon has at certain times offered paid sick leave for absences due to COVID-19.

Here’s a comparison of sick pay at major companies:

As you can see, Amazon is an outlier in not compensating for sick time. Make sure you financially prepare for unpaid sick days.

What About Sick Leave for Remote Amazon Employees?

The same attendance rules apply whether you work on-site or remotely for Amazon. Here‘s how it works for remote workers:

• A to Z requests: Remote employees use the app to submit UPT requests when they are out sick.

• Email your manager: You must email your manager anytime you miss scheduled working hours, just like on-site employees do.

• 10 unpaid sick days: There is no difference in UPT allotment for remote compared to in-office roles.

• Points for non-compliance: Remote workers also get dinged points for violations like missing hours without notice.

• Can be terminated: Excess points can lead to firing for remote employees too if you aren’t diligent about the policies.

So remote Amazonians enjoy the flexibility of taking ~10 sick days per year without pay. But you still need to follow proper call-out procedures to avoid points dinging your record.

Can You Actually Get Fired for Too Many Sick Days at Amazon?

Since points can accumulate from unauthorized absences, you may be concerned about losing your job if you exceed allotted unpaid sick time. Here are the key takeaways:

• 6 points = fired: Company policy mandates employment termination once you reach 6 attendance points in a 180 day period.

• Typically no exceptions: Amazon applies this rule rigidly once employees hit the 6 point threshold.

• UPT prevents points: Using unpaid time from your UPT when sick means you don’t accrue points for those absences.

• Medical conditions: Employees with doctors’ notes corroborating chronic health issues may receive reprieve from points.

• Medical leave: Serious medical situations could qualify you for a medical leave of absence to pause attendance dings.

• Manager discretion: Some leniency has been given if employees have otherwise solid attendance records before reaching 6 points.

While the policy is strict, there are certain situations where exceptions may be possible, like medical leave. Discussing with HR can help determine if alternatives apply for your health needs. But excessive undocumented sick days can absolutely cost you your job at Amazon.

Expert Tips to Stay in Compliance with Amazon Attendance Policies

Based on my experience managing high-performing Amazon seller accounts, here are my tips to avoid attendance issues while taking needed sick time:

• Only take sick time when genuinely ill: Don’t abuse your UPT allotment by skipping out on work unnecessarily. Save those days for when you’re truly sick or contagious.

• Notify ASAP: Give your manager as much advance notice as possible when calling in sick. This gives them more time to make shift coverage arrangements.

• Keep doctor’s notes on hand: Have any medical documentation ready to present in case Amazon asks for verification of long or frequent absences.

• Monitor your points: Check your attendance dashboard in A to Z regularly so you know exactly where you stand on points left before discipline occurs.

• Discuss chronic health problems: If you have ongoing medical conditions impacting your attendance, work proactively with HR on reasonable accommodations.

• Stay up to date on COVID policies: Given how much they’ve fluctuated, keep tabs on any temporary COVID sick pay benefits in place when making call-in decisions.

• Strategically use PTO: Substitute paid time off for unpaid sick days as possible to avoid gaps in income.

Sometimes illness is unavoidable. But going into the job with your eyes open on the policies, communicating with Amazon about health limitations, and tracking your status enables you to take needed sick time without jeopardizing your role.

The Bottom Line on Calling in Sick to Amazon

At the end of the day, calling in ill at Amazon has definite consequences you need to consider carefully as an employee. While Amazon grants up to 10 sick days annually, you need to manage this time very judiciously since it is unpaid.

Exceeding your allotted sick time can quickly result in point accumulation and discharge if you aren’t diligent about compliance. Be certain to report every single absence through proper channels. Discuss chronic medical problems with HR. Keep any necessary doctor‘s orders on hand.

Monitor those points! Having this insider knowledge of the system helps you avoid attendance pitfalls and use sick time only when essential. I hope this guide gave you a deeper understanding of how to navigate calling in sick at Amazon. Let me know if have any other questions!