Phone in Sick Day – May 1, 2024

History of Phone in Sick Day

Phone in Sick Day has existed for about two decades and has origins in Britain. A now-defunct British group called Decadent Action, which referred to itself as a “consumer terrorist organization,” started this movement.

In 1997, Decadent Action called for “a day of rest” in the U.K. and later announced that about 2,000 British Airways employees had fallen ill and couldn’t go to work. Similarly, following an investigation the following year in 1998, they claimed that a huge proportion of Irish police and London guards were away from work that day. The same year in 1998, Remark, an anti-corporate group based in California, announced that Phone in Sick Day would be observed in the U.S. In its inception around Europe and America, Phone in Sick Day was celebrated on April 6.

The celebration date was changed to May 1 in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. in 2000. Some other countries adopted May 2 to be celebrated as Phone in Sick Day. The date was modified to coincide with May Day, commonly known as International Workers’ Day. The fact that May is nearer to summer is another justification for moving the celebration to the month. Everyone applauded the decision because Phone in Sick Day includes entertainment as one of its main components. The day is observed by essentially refraining from performing any “work.” You can choose to spend the day as you want, whether you’re an introvert who prefers to stay inside sipping whatever takes your fancy or an extrovert who likes to go out and have fun.