How to Go to Work in Sims 4 Get to Work
Going to work in The Sims 4 Get to Work expansion pack is a crucial part of your Sims’ lives. It’s where they earn money, build skills, and, in some cases, directly participate in their careers. The most straightforward way for your Sim to go to work is automatically. Assuming their autonomy is enabled and they are not in the middle of a time-consuming action, they will generally initiate the “Go to Work” action themselves when their shift starts.
However, sometimes Sims require a little nudge. If they’re lingering at home or engaged in another activity, you can manually send them to work. To do this, simply click on your Sim, and a menu will appear. One of the options will be “Go to Work.” Selecting this will direct them to their workplace. Keep in mind, they have roughly an hour after their shift starts to arrive before their boss calls them, reminding them to get to work.
For active careers in Get to Work, like the Detective, Doctor, and Scientist careers, you have the option to follow your Sim to work. This means you get to actively control them and complete tasks while on the job, leading to faster promotions and higher job performance. To follow them, you select “Go To Work” as usual, and you will be prompted to go with them if it is an active career. If it’s a standard career, the game will load, and your Sim will disappear off-screen for the day, returning home later on. This is true of all standard, rabbit-hole careers in The Sims 4.
Understanding Work in The Sims 4 Get to Work
The “Get to Work” expansion introduces a new layer of gameplay, allowing players to interact with their Sims’ careers in a more hands-on manner. Unlike standard careers, where your Sim disappears into a “rabbit hole” for the day, active careers give you direct control over their actions.
Active Career vs. Standard Career
It’s important to differentiate between active and standard careers. Active careers in Get to Work include:
- Doctor: Diagnose and treat patients, deliver babies, and manage medical emergencies.
- Detective: Solve crimes, interrogate suspects, and patrol the city.
- Scientist: Invent new technology, conduct experiments, and explore alien life.
- Actor/Actress: (Introduced in later expansion packs, but shares mechanics) Go on auditions, perform in commercials and tv shows, and work on your craft.
- Interior Decorator: (Introduced in later expansion packs, but shares mechanics) Visit clients homes, and renovate their living spaces.
In these active careers, players can follow their Sims and control them at their place of work. Standard careers (such as business, cooking, writer, etc.) are “rabbit-hole” careers, where your Sim goes to work without player intervention, only reappearing when their workday is over.
Autonomy and Going to Work
Sims are usually good at going to work themselves when the time comes. This is thanks to the game’s autonomy settings. However, if they’re in the middle of another action, they might prioritize finishing that before heading to work. You can adjust your game settings to manage autonomy levels if you find your Sims are not going to work in a timely manner. If you have disabled autonomy for a selected Sim, they will not perform the action on their own.
Punctuality and Consequences
Sims have a grace period of roughly an hour after their work shift starts before they are penalized. If they don’t arrive within this time, they will get a phone call from their boss asking where they are. While you can choose not to answer the call or to ignore it, missing work can impact your Sim’s job performance and their pay, and can even cause them to lose their job. Sims are paid hourly, so failing to get to work will cost you money.
Work Outfits
Sometimes a bug can prevent your Sim from going to work, often due to a corrupted work outfit. If you have trouble with your Sims going to work, try changing or deleting their existing work outfits using a dresser. If your Sim has more than one assigned work outfit, try deleting the additional outfits as this can sometimes cause issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions related to how Sims go to work in The Sims 4, especially in the “Get to Work” expansion:
What time do Sims go to work?
Sims’ work start times depend on their specific career and job level. These times are clearly displayed in the Career panel for your Sim. They do not go to work until the time displayed.
Can you go to work early in Sims 4?
No, you cannot go to work early in The Sims 4. Your Sim can only travel to work at the time their shift is scheduled to begin.
Why won’t my Sim go to work automatically?
If your Sim is not going to work automatically, ensure that Autonomy is set to full in your game options, and you do not have disabled autonomy for selected Sims on. Also, your Sim may be engaged in another action that they are choosing to finish first, such as a conversation, or cooking a meal.
What happens if my Sim misses a day of work?
If your Sim misses work, they’ll receive a call from their boss after about 90 minutes. You can choose not to answer it and still not go. However, their job performance might be affected, and they’ll miss out on the day’s pay.
Can Sims give birth at work?
No, in most cases, Sims will only give birth at their home lot. There is an option of a hospital birth in one of the expansion packs that is a special case.
Can I follow all Sims to work?
No, you can only follow Sims to work if they have an active career, such as Doctor, Detective, or Scientist. Standard careers are not active and require no player participation during working hours.
How do I change my Sim’s work outfit?
You can change your Sim’s work outfit by using a dresser. Select the option to plan outfits, and modify the “work” outfit category. You can also use the cheat: “testingCheats [on]” in the search bar and press “Enter” to turn the cheats on. In the cheat code console, execute this work outfit cheat “sims. modifycareeroutfitincas” and hit “Enter”.
Can Sims have twins at work?
No, the location where a sim is, is not a factor in the possibility of having twins or triplets.
What are the best careers in The Sims 4?
While this is subjective, some of the highly regarded careers in The Sims 4 include Scientist, Gardener, Writer, Business, and Astronaut, because they often provide perks, high earning potential, or unique gameplay.
How do I know what career my Sim wants?
You can use the in-game interactions to explore career options. You can have your Sim talk to other Sims, and “Ask About Career” to see their career and get inspiration.
Why won’t my Sim go home from work?
Click the house icon next to their portrait in the Sim Tracker to send them home automatically. This won’t work if there is an active social event going on, as the game keeps Sims at events until they are over.
Can Sims become unemployed?
Yes, a Sim can become unemployed by going to their career panel and selecting “Quit Job.”
Can Sims get pregnant without trying for a baby?
No, regular WooHoo will not result in pregnancy. Sims must use the “Try for Baby” option to initiate pregnancy.
Do pregnant Sims age?
Pregnant Sims will temporarily appear to stop aging for a few days.
Can Sims try for a baby and not get pregnant?
Yes, there is a chance for a “Try for Baby” interaction to be unsuccessful, although it is highly likely to result in pregnancy. The base chance of pregnancy is 80%.
Understanding the mechanics of how your Sims go to work, particularly with the active careers introduced in the Get to Work expansion, is essential for effective gameplay. By paying attention to the job times, managing their autonomy, and knowing how to respond to unexpected problems, you can guide your Sims to career success in The Sims 4. Remember to experiment with different careers, and don’t be afraid to mix and match between active and standard careers to discover all that The Sims 4 has to offer.