Free sick day message generator
You feel awful and it's 7am. Here's the message, written for you.
Free. No account. We do not save your message.
A sick message needs three things and nothing else: that you are ill, whether you are reachable, and what is urgent today. Nobody needs your symptoms, and nobody wants you to apologise four times.
Tell us roughly how you are and what is in your diary today. We will write something you can send in ten seconds and go back to bed.
An example
Fever and sore throat, standup at 10, client deck due today, reachable if urgent.
Hi [Manager], I have woken up with a fever and a sore throat, so I am going to take today off. I will miss the 10am standup. The client deck was due to go out today — could someone pick that up, or shall I send it tomorrow morning if it can wait? I will keep an eye on messages in case anything is urgent. Thanks,
When to send it
As early as you can manage, and before your working day starts. Most employers expect to hear before the first meeting of the day or before the shift begins — a message at 07:00 is far more useful to whoever has to cover your work than a well-phrased one at 10:00.
Check how your workplace wants to hear it. Some teams run on a message in a group chat, others expect a call to your manager, and plenty of Dutch employers ask you to call rather than text on the first day. Your contract or company handbook usually says; if it does not, send the message and offer to call.
How much you actually have to say
Very little. “I am unwell and will not be in today” is a complete message. You are telling your employer that you are unable to work — not filing a medical report, and in the Netherlands an employer is generally not supposed to ask what is wrong with you.
What is worth including is anything that helps someone else today: a meeting you will miss, a deadline that was yours, whether you are reachable if something is genuinely urgent. That is the part your colleagues actually need, and it turns a sick note into a handover.
If it lasts more than a day
Say so as soon as you know, rather than sending a fresh message every morning. “I expect to be out until Thursday and will let you know if that changes” lets a manager plan; three separate one-day messages do not.
Longer absences usually bring a process with them — contact from a company doctor or occupational health service, and rules that come from your contract or collective agreement rather than from any generator. Read what your own employer sets out rather than assuming, because it varies more than people expect.
Common questions
+Do I have to say what is wrong?
Almost never in detail. "I am unwell and taking today off" is a complete message. Say more only if your workplace specifically requires it.
+Message or call?
Follow whatever your team normally does. If you are unsure, send the message and add that you can call if they prefer.
+Should I offer to work anyway?
Only if you actually can. Offering and then going silent is worse for everyone than being clearly unavailable for a day.