Calling in Sick

I work in the Training Division of the San Diego Police Department. I assist in in the development in young officer that are coming onto the Department and eventually, becoming independent officers that patrol the streets of America's Finest City.

But I have noted a trend amongst a handful of the younger officers that are coming on the Department. When they are sick, they don't bother calling in to tell their Field Training Officer or Sergeant that they are sick and not coming to work. Instead, they just don't show up to work. Furthermore, a mother called the Academy to tell the Training Officers her son wasn't coming into the Academy because her adult son was sick.

Excuse me? What did you just say???

I have given all our players my phone number (starting back in summer camp) with instructions to call me in the event they were going to miss practice. My e-mail address also has been passed out. I know the flu is going around and that there are a lot of players out sick. But I had 11 players that didn't show to practice on Monday and 8 of them didn't even bother calling me to say they were sick.

It is still the responsibility for the player to call me and let me know they are not coming to practice. I can appreciate parents looking out for their sons. Parents are required to call the school to notify for their students absence with the attendance office. But I want the players to call me none-the-less to tell me they are going to miss practice.

I have 4 kids of my own so I know how it feels to be a parent. But what I want is for the player to learn to be responsible for themselves. Be accountable. Don't grow up to be one of the poor saps I listed above.