My company gives us 5 sick days and told us we can't use them as personal days and that we can't plan a sick day. I say the hell with them. If they didn't give us any sick days our pay would be more (The days and vac. days, benefits, etc are all worked into the salary, whether they'll admit it or not.) Sooo... I take 'em whenever I feel like it and I let the guys in my dept. know about it in advance. It's like this: either call on the morning of and possibly screw the guys I work with or let them know the day before so they can be prepared. Simple really.