Influencer is slammed as ‘privileged ‘ and ‘inconsiderate’ after saying the one piece of advice she would give people in their twenties is to call in sick for work to go to gigs and parties
A millennial influencer has divided opinion by urging twenty-somethings to “call in sick” to go to concerts, vacations and events they want to attend.
Abbie Curls, who splits her time between London and Bristol, shares tips for people younger than her in the run-up to her 30th birthday.
The 29-year-old admitted that in her 20s she pretended to be sick “really well” to get a day off and that she has “no regrets” about it.
But people quickly called the advice “selfish” and said she was too
She said, ‘Your favorite artist is playing a festival, but you can’t go because you have to work on Saturday from 12 to 9. Call in sick.’
‘Your friends are going away for a long weekend, but you work Friday and Monday so you can’t go.
Abbie admitted that pretending to be sick to get a day off was something she did “all too well” in her 20s and that she has “no regrets”
‘Call in sick and go and enjoy yourself. What do you mean you can’t go?’
Abbie claimed that at ‘most jobs’ you get a ‘set number’ of sick days a year, adding that she has used up ‘every last day and a few extras’.
The content creator said she didn’t experience any negative consequences from calling in sick when she still worked in an office.
“You can be sure that on those sick days I had a lot of fun doing fun things,” she added.
“I know a lot of people will disagree with this advice, but honestly, I think I learned more in life from what I did during my sick days than I would have if I had just gone to work that day.”
She added a side note to her video by saying her advice “only applies to jobs that really don’t interest you.”
The Instagrammer used an example of part-time work during your studies or a job that you consider temporary, purely for the money.
Abbie then said, “Don’t call in sick for a job that is important to you and in the career field you want to pursue.”
She gave a number of examples of reasons why she pretended to be ill, including attending PR and networking events, group travel and social events with friends and family birthdays.
Abbie claimed that in “most jobs” you get a “set number” of sick days per year, adding that she has used “every last one of those days and a few extras.”
Abbie gave some examples of why she pretended to be sick in the caption of her clip
Abbie then apologized to “all the managers and parents out there” for her advice for younger millennials and Gen Z.
She ended the clip with the words, “Don’t tell your bosses I told you to call in sick, because I don’t want any trouble!”
Social media users were divided over her advice. Some called it “terrible,” while others said their lives are worth more than their jobs.
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 time.
“I got a C in that class and I couldn’t apply for a 10,000 grant for school. The next day the person showed up tanned and hungover because she had gone to a festival down south [California].
“She lost her job and I lost the ability to apply for financial aid for college. If you call in sick and it is not a real emergency, at least check with your colleagues. Bad advice. I’m just saying!’
Abbie responded to this saying: ‘It’s absolutely all about discretion. It sounds like you worked in a small business where one person has direct influence over another.
‘In those circumstances, I would not call in sick if I knew it would put someone else at risk in the way you describe.
Social media users had divided opinions on her advice. Some called it “terrible,” while others said their lives are worth more than their jobs.
“The jobs I’ve worked in have been large companies where my input is so minimal that I wouldn’t really be missed and there would always be someone else to step in.”
Another wrote: ‘Book your holiday with advice like an adult. Or you call in sick, build up a reputation as unreliable and wonder why your hard-working colleague is now your manager a year and a half later.’
Abbie then wrote back, “I travel too much for my vacation to allow.”
A third commented: ‘I always remember this. If you died today, your job would be [advertised] the next week. Always prioritize yourself.”
A fourth said: ‘I’m surprised people are against this! Your life is worth way more than that shitty retail job you’d leave in a heartbeat without thinking! Call in sick!’