A sick-out is a way of going on strike without calling it a strike: on the same day, all the workers at a company phone in and say they are sick, and then stay home. Everybody knows they are not really sick. That is the point — the message is clear, but nobody has officially refused to work, so it is much harder for the company to punish anyone.

A sick-out is是 without calling it a strike不把它叫作罷工 a way of going on strike的一種罷工方式: on the same day同一天, all the workers at a company公司裡所有的員工 phone in打電話進來 and say they are sick說自己生病了, and then stay home然後待在家。Everybody knows大家都知道 they他們 are not really sick不是真的生病。That is the point這正是用意所在 — the message訊息 is clear很清楚, but但 nobody沒有任何人 has officially refused to work正式拒絕工作, so所以 the company公司 to punish anyone要處罰誰 is much harder就難得多。

You will hear it most about workers who are not allowed to strike by law, or who would lose too much by striking openly: air traffic controllers, police officers, bus drivers, teachers, nurses. It is an American word, quite informal, and it belongs mostly to news reports and workplace talk rather than to books.

You will hear it most about你最常聽到它用在 who are not allowed to strike by law依法不准罷工, or who would lose too much by striking openly或公開罷工會損失太大 workers的那些勞工身上: air traffic controllers航管員, police officers警察, bus drivers公車司機, teachers老師, nurses護理師。It is它是 an American word美國的字, quite informal相當口語, and it belongs mostly to多半出現在 news reports新聞報導 and workplace talk和職場談話裡, rather than to books而不是書裡。

You write it with a hyphen; some newspapers write sickout. The verb phrase behind it is "call in sick" (to phone your workplace and say you are ill), and a sick-out is that, done by everyone at once, on purpose. Because it is a countable noun you can say a sick-out, two sick-outs, stage/hold a sick-out.

You write it with a hyphen這個字要加連字號; some newspapers有些報紙 write寫成 sickout。Behind it它背後 the verb phrase的動詞片語 is是 "call in sick"打電話到公司說自己病了, and a sick-out is that而 sick-out 就是那件事, done by everyone at once所有人同時做, on purpose而且是故意的。Because it is a countable noun因為它是可數名詞, you can say你可以說 a sick-out, two sick-outs, stage/hold a sick-out發動、舉行一場 sick-out。