I'm sure many other jobs aren't like this, but where I work we don't have to give any reason at all to use our sick leave. Since one of the official definitions of "sick" in the Cambridge Dictionary is "very good, excellent," you wouldn't even be lying.
When I was hired on for my current job my boss explained that they don't require any proof to use our "medical time." While vacation time should be put in with a bit of notice, medical time was ours to use whenever. Literally said, if you wake up after a stressful few days and just want to enjoy some fresh air, just put it on the shared calendar that you're using some medical time. It can be as little as 1hr, it doesn't matter.
I was working in web development and marketing back then, while you’re kinda right, and there were always “fires” (which were bullshit, because we mostly did clothing brand websites and tv show ads, not really important in the bigger scheme).
We did manage to keep them from launching sites or features on Fridays. So we had chances to take them more (but still not enough).
The work/life culture was better than my preceding professional jobs, but the middle management was terrible, with 3 coming and going in 2 years.
I became a consultant for one more year, and liked that more, but they ultimately got out of that business (Shopify and squarespace ultimately took that market around the same time).
I don't think I've ever had a job where I had to prove my sickness. I know that doesn't apply to everyone but as long as you don't abuse it, taking the odd day here and there doesn't cause issues
That's pretty nice, it's basically additional leave days! I still prefer European style with unlimited sick leave, but you need a certificate from your physician.