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Here's the thing tho... I've very frequently seen people come in sick, yet "well enough to work." They tough it out and what happens is that the rest of the office ends up getting sick.
Now instead of one person staying at home, we've got several people unable to perform at 100%.
My HR department basically said that if for whatever reason you aren't feeling fully productive -- whether it be for sickness, stress, a terrible headache, etc, take some time to rest and get back up to 100%, then come back in. However, that being said, I don't think I've really taken a sick day in several years either. Mostly because I have the ability to work from home...
Can these other people work from home? That's what I used to do when I wasn't feeling well and thought I could spread germs to my co-workers.
Here's the thing tho... I've very frequently seen people come in sick, yet "well enough to work." They tough it out and what happens is that the rest of the office ends up getting sick.
Now instead of one person staying at home, we've got several people unable to perform at 100%.
My HR department basically said that if for whatever reason you aren't feeling fully productive -- whether it be for sickness, stress, a terrible headache, etc, take some time to rest and get back up to 100%, then come back in. However, that being said, I don't think I've really taken a sick day in several years either. Mostly because I have the ability to work from home...
That wouldn't justify the day here, the day there pattern of calling in sick that we so often see. No one recovers from even a cold in one day. In many cases, you're most contagious right before you get the symptoms and coworkers have to work harder to pick up the extra work and that is what makes them get sick. The immune response takes 2 to 3 weeks. If someone wants to lay around at home for 2 to 3 weeks and give up their vacation - that's the way it works with PTO.
What really happens, the others now have to work at 150% to pick up the extra work.
I have a somewhat strenuous outdoor job. It's not unusual for some of us to call in sick for one day. Some days you just don't feel like you can do it, or, you know if you go in thinking you'll feel better, you'll be made to stay even if you feel worse.
So calling in one day to see how you really feel is the lesser of 2 evils.
However, calling in sick for 3 days is considered the same as calling in for one day, from a disciplinary standpoint.
We have sick days, but are severely discouraged from taking them.
I don't take sick days unless I'm near dead. If I'm sick, I just work from home most of the time. Not because of pride, but because my mind can't handle it. I need problems to solve.
You are making a bad assumption that these people were in fact sick and chose to go to work instead of taking a sick day and staying home. I'm one of these people that have not taken a sick day in 10 years. But it is because I was not sick, period. Others are the same way in that they simply don't get sick much. That should be a prideful topic IMO.
You are making a bad assumption that these people were in fact sick and chose to go to work instead of taking a sick day and staying home. I'm one of these people that have not taken a sick day in 10 years. But it is because I was not sick, period. Others are the same way in that they simply don't get sick much. That should be a prideful topic IMO.
Agreed. Also, most people don't have unlimited days to take off for sickness or other personal issues. You have to decide what illness merits taking a sick day (i.e. the cold vs the flu). Plus if you have to take a personal day because of an unforeseen event (say a pipe bursts and your apartment is flooding), then that is one less sick day you have. I do agree that if you are vomiting or running a fever (for instance) that you have no business coming into work. However, if you have a cold, you (and the co-workers) can deal with it. Unlike schools, you can generally bring cold medicine to work to help get you through the day (or nights as in my case).
I rarely get sick but I use all my PTO. My kids and my hobbies are more important to me than work. I work to live, not the other way around.
To answer the OP's question, many people take pride in their service. I can understand it if you're a soldier but being proud of towing the company line is foreign to me personally.
If we all took off every time we had a little cold or a tummy ache, we would never be at work. In my job I am exposed to customers all day and wake up with some sneezing or cough fairly often. A little DayQuill and I am ready to go to work.
In the year and a half I have been back to work since retiring, I have missed maybe 3 days, and I was so sick I didn't want to be near other people...........I couldn't stop sneezing or blowing my nose for even a minute. But otherwise, I tough it out and go to work.
My one Son hasn't missed a days work in probably 5 or 6 years. It isn't some badge he wears, he just is dedicated to his job and realizes if he isn't there it puts a burden on everyone else. Same with me, we are short staffed already and if I am not there it really hurts the rest of the team.
Here's the thing tho... I've very frequently seen people come in sick, yet "well enough to work." They tough it out and what happens is that the rest of the office ends up getting sick.
Now instead of one person staying at home, we've got several people unable to perform at 100%.
My HR department basically said that if for whatever reason you aren't feeling fully productive -- whether it be for sickness, stress, a terrible headache, etc, take some time to rest and get back up to 100%, then come back in. However, that being said, I don't think I've really taken a sick day in several years either. Mostly because I have the ability to work from home...
The bolded is the real issue.
I have roughly 300 sick days accumulated, even having taken around 30 off this past year for a variety of strange things (biopsies, food poisoning, etc.). The problem is, as a teacher, it's sometimes more of pain in the ass to take off than it is to go in when sick. Our subs aren't expected to "teach" (in fact most aren't college graduates) so you have to give the kids enough work to keep them busy for 70 minutes.
The other issue arises with retirement (keep in mind that unused leave is carried on the books as unfunded future expense. Auditors hate that.). When I retire in the next couple years I'll be paid for the leave at a rate of 30% for up to 250 days. It doesn't benefit me to carry more days than that, but then you come back to the previous paragraph.
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