Can I Get Fired For Pulling A ‘Sickie’ At Work?

By the book here - If under two years employment you don't have nearly as many protections and they could fire you just for getting wind you might be lying, without having to prove it. If over two years, they'd have to cite gross misconduct. Is there a risk you might be seen at said event? If it's Glastonbury for example, you might be clearly caught on one of the 10000 cameras the BBC seem to send there. And if someone spots that, they take a screenshot as evidence, they could technically cite gross misconduct (lying about illness to attend a festival) and you wouldn't have a leg to stand on in terms of unfair dismissal. Is the job good? Are you a good worker? In reality, they probably wouldn't want to lose a good worker over a rouge sick day. You could also try the approach I took - while working in a pub but getting into my current career "on the side" I requested time off for a festival I'd been asked to work at. Big career opportunity. Asked for the weekend off, but too late. Bank holiday, too many staff already booked off. I did the whole "ah bugger, that's such a shame, I really like working here too" (which I did) which confused the boss a bit. I explained given the career opportunity, I'd simply have to hand in my notice, which felt like such a waste as it was only one weekend and I was available most of the rest of the summer. I was a hard worker, got on well with everyone, got on well with the boss. I wasn't even playing mind games - she knew how important this was to me and I had no choice but to simply leave in order to attend the festival. She'd sorted it within the hour.