After six years of dedicted work I was fired for taking off two sick days.

23 Comments

1. Annetta MosesApril 24,2022 at 6:41PM UTC

   Yes, retirement is a valid reason for a work gap. After retiring you missed certain aspects of working with others and you are looking for a position.

   Good luck.

2. April MinerApril 24,2022 at 7:13PM UTC

   Yes, quite sure it is. In fact, everyone is entitled to gaps in their employment history. We are human, not machines. How are you expected to regroup and devise a plan for going forward, if you don't take time off and focus on re-aligning your goals?

3. JJApril 24,2022 at 8:00PM UTC

   I’m not sure but that’s awful. I have found that gaps in my resume are a great concern to potential employers even though I maintained contract work “between jobs” so it might be good to work with an understanding recruiter when you want to get back at it. Employers say that they want entrepreneurial types and support family values, but freak out if someone takes time off to raise kids or go out on their own.

4. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 24,2022 at 11:41PM UTC

   Sorry that happened to you.

   You can put whatever you want, but ageism is a for-real thing. You might consider putting something like personal sabbatical.

5. AnonymousApril 25,2022 at 1:58AM UTC

   i could see being fired if you call off a lot. But 2 days? That’s crazy. I hope you find something better

6. AnonymousApril 25,2022 at 3:55AM UTC

   Yes. Tell people you after a long and successful career you took a much earned break.

7. AnonymousApril 25,2022 at 6:03PM UTC

   Thank you all for your comments. They are helpful.

8. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 12:27PM UTC

   Yes.

9. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 12:42PM UTC

   Absolutely.
   There are many many really good reasons to have a gap in work. Currently, I am taking a huge cut in pay and hours because I am juggling responsibilities for my mother who has dementia as well as helping a daughter-in-law with a sick grandchild. I know that there will be a window of time where I can jump back into more work, but not right now. However, my decision to drastically reduce work hours comes at a time and mediately following a very painful termination from a job I loved. Long story but I totally understand about looking for work that is Meaningful with the right culture. I am age 61 . I hope my response is helpful to you .You don't have to explain why you lost your previous job at all

10. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 12:42PM UTC

    I wouldn't use the word retirement. Instead, think of a way to say that you took took personal time and are grateful that you were able to and now you're ready to go back in the game :)

    It's so awful that we have to explain things like that.

11. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 12:56PM UTC

    I wouldn’t use retirement. You can say you took it for personal time or you can say because of Covid/taking care of family matters. I would also supplement with work/volunteer work you did when you were not employed to make it look like you always had something to do. I took a gap year after having a baby and it was beyond difficult trying to explain that. Good luck.

12. Melissa MilliganApril 27,2022 at 1:17PM UTC

    This is a hot button for me as I’m 57 and constantly discriminated against because of my age.
    Maybe it’s just me but I see an elephant in the room. Retirement denotes you’re of retirement age. I question their reasoning of firing you for taking two sick days. Seems more likely to me they were waiting to pounce on the “old(er) person.”

13. Brittany KlutzApril 27,2022 at 2:36PM UTC

    I am so sorry you went through this! You should definatly build a profile with Prowess Project-- our mission is to help women go from home to hired after a gap and/or pivot their careers, using our Enterprise Saas tech that highlights transferrable skills and gets candidates in front of employers at a level playing field versus overlook and or set back--ALL 100% remote positions.

14. Jan GuidoApril 27,2022 at 2:41PM UTC

    You may choose to use a 'Break' to find a new path. If you speak to someone you can say you 'tried retirement and it isnt for you... it depends really. Also, on a resume or linked in; Hiatus or Sabbatical. I took time off to write a book, travel ... care for someone - even if it was you :)

15. Mystery MysteryApril 27,2022 at 2:50PM UTC

    Apply for unemployment if you haven't already

16. Stephanie BeckApril 27,2022 at 2:51PM UTC

    I recently left my job stating retirement from corporate America.

17. EMILY KIKUE FRANKApril 27,2022 at 2:59PM UTC

    Volunteering or taking classes can help patch over a gap, but in this climate, you can also just say you took time off for personal reasons.

18. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 5:29PM UTC

    You can use the term career break. This is extremely common right now, as people move around between roles. This pandemic has resulted in providing reasons for many people to do a bit of strategic planning and move on to better things. You should feel quite comfortable expressing this. Organizations are scrambling to fill roles - so you will be okay to admit you were considering various options and directions....

19. misskelleypApril 27,2022 at 6:11PM UTC

    I am more concerned that they fired you for being sick. This seems a violation of the ADA. I might, if I were you, contact your state Labor & Industries (or whatever it's called in your state) department and ask some questions.

20. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 6:32PM UTC

    Yes that is a fine explanation.

21. AnonymousApril 27,2022 at 10:29PM UTC

    "Dedicted?" Don't you mean DEDICATED?

22. AnonymousApril 28,2022 at 4:04AM UTC

    Typos happen

23. Sabrina CortesApril 28,2022 at 1:24PM UTC

    I'm so sorry that happened to you!

    As a professional Resume Writer, retirement is perfectly acceptable for an employment gap. If the gap is less than a year, that's acceptable on your resume.

    You can also get around that gap by using a Combination/Hybrid resume, which lists your skills first, then your employment.

    I'd be happy to offer you a free resume review if you're interested. Feel free to email me at sabrina@writewithsabrina.com

    If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

    Best of luck to you!