Next time, you have a stomach bug. You have diarrhea. You just need to let it pass. You will not be going to work with diarrhea. It sucks some people cannot understand how bad cramps can get. So next time you call out because you are in pain tell them you have a stomach bug.

Respectfully, your SM doesn’t need to know why you’re calling out. All we need is hey I’m sick…click. So no, a threat to your job is not acceptable or legal.

In the future, just say you are sick, and be vague. In most states they cannot legally request a doctors note for a single shift (though check yours to be sure).

Hey listen here you. Fuckem.

cramps are a good enough reason sometimes I feel like total death. one time I had to pull over because I couldn't keep driving it was so bad. usually I just say I threw up though because lord knows people give you issues over everything.

try and reach out to your DM. If you were having serious pain and not feeling well enough to work, you should absolutely be allowed to call out sick.

you never actually need to tell them a reason. they don’t need to know details. they need to know that you won’t be coming in today. I would consider reaching out to your DM or maybe partner resources because it’s completely unethical for your boss to call you after you’ve called out and threaten to just negate the fact that you’ve called out and mark you as a NCNS like wtf?

I am trans masc and high key when I had cramps I couldnt go to school or work thats why I have been on depo for so long.

I think cramps are valid. But god forbid someone understand, like others said next time just say its diarrhea and a stomach bug

It's absurdly common. Even with managers that are otherwise feminist or supportive. If you don't get extremely bad menstrual cramps you just don't get how disabling it is. I used to literally be white knuckle gripping the counter trying to stand upright during a bad cramp. Every 5-10 minutes. The solution was to put me on drive thru window. Pretty messed up.

If you get them frequently, like several times a menstrual cycle or more cycles than not, please talk to a doctor. They can get you help and importantly they can help set you up with FMLA approved intermittent leave. It's basically extra unpaid protected sick time. If you use sick time it's safe, you're calling out for a legally protected reason.

i’m so sorry. this happened to me once but luckily my manager understood why i called out. he was a terrible person but that was one of the nicer things he’s done. anyways, i agree with the comments. #1: they don’t need to know why you’re calling out #2: if they insist, just say diarrhea. it’s embarrassing, but it’s a biohazard (i think)

if you feel comfortable, try complaining to someone higher up. so sorry this happened to you!

Cramps are pain. They can also cause diarrhea. Pain and diarrhea are both reasons to call out.

You shouldn’t have to endure 8 hours of pain so bad you could pass out just because of your anatomy. It’s definitely a valid reason if they are bad enough, and I’d recommend reaching out to another (possibly higher up) manager or HR (don’t rly recommend) because they can’t write you up for that. Unless there is a history of NCNSing or something, I can’t see why they’d want to take it straight to a 10. Not only is that discriminatory because someone without a uterus wouldn’t be put in that situation, but it also violates Starbucks call out policy.

I would’ve considered you valid… using protected sick time for painful menstruation symptoms is valid. Using protected sick time for chronic pain from an unseen disability or mental illness is valid ….. mental health is physical health! Women’s health is physical health!!!!!

sounds like a male manager.

You can call out for literally any reason. Your time is your time, and no one is entitled to your health details.

tell em you're puking. no one wants vomit on the bar durint peak

Homie you coulda gotten rich off that lawsuit if you had them saying that in video

It's valid if they're that debilitating, however don't say that's why you're calling off. Unfortunately most people especially those who have never menstruated don't understand. Stomach bug, migraine, literally anything else. JUST DONT SAY CRAMPS

Didn’t read the description, but as a man, I believe the answer is yes.

i literally hate seeing these so much… why are so many managers on such a damn power trip, i’d like to be their higher ups so i can treat them like this. “oh you wanna vacation? well, you need a more
valid reason and if you go on vacation you’re going
to be fired” put them in the shoes of thier partners
who have to deal with this…

I would not give the exact reason why just say your under the weather. I have had female managers who don’t think it’s valid so just be vague the only issue is if it’s a monthly thing aka a “pattern” they can eventually write you without a dr note which can eventually lead to termination

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I would say if you regularly call out with bad cramps / this was foreseeable, and you haven't worked with a doctor, and/or tried to request time off or otherwise tried to get it covered, I'd be a little upset someone was calling out. And however rare that actually being the case is, in the moment I think that's the first circumstance that comes to most peoples' minds, unfortunately. In this case it sounds like it wasn't expected / isn't regularly this bad, personally I think it's fine, but I'm not sure it technically falls under any call-out policy. I agree with other posters- say you're unwell, you don't want to discuss your medical situation, it's not contagious. I'd be careful about saying specific symptoms because you might get hit with covid or food safety concerns that aren't applicable.

Note though, that in most cases, healthy/average cramps shouldn't be debilitating. If they're keeping you from day to day life even with otc pain meds, that's usually time to bring it up with a doctor. There's a lot of underdiagnosed conditions that can lead to that afaik.