It is completely legal. An employer is not required to allow call-outs at all: that is, an employer could make it the rule that if you miss work for any reason, even illness, that you will be terminated (or otherwise disciplined at their option: e.g. suspended, pay or hours cut, etc.) unless you used earned paid time off (PTO) to cover the absence or unless the employer was covered by, you were eligible for, the absence warranted, and you properly used Family and Medical Leave Act leave.Since the employer does not need to allow you to call out, they can put requriements on it--such as that if you call out, you then have to make up extra time. Of course, if you are hourly, you will be paid for that time, so there is some upside to it.