Donna Ballman, an employment law blogger, offers the following on what employees need to know about their legal rights if they have to call in sick:

Minor illness: If you’re out sick for a day or two with, say, a cold or something minor, you have little legal protection under federal law. The laws that protect you for illness only protect you if you have a serious medical condition or an illness relating to a disability. Doctor’s note or no, if you live anywhere but Montana you’re in an at-will state, meaning you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. That includes being sick (unless your state or city has a paid sick leave law).

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