Going to work sick

southernbelle0915 · September 2014

It always seems like September is the worst. I don't know if it's allergies, or kids going back to their cesspool classrooms and tracking germs around, but JFC. Everyone in my office is hacking a lung, sneezing, wearing blankets and looking like hell.

Maybe I'm insensitive, but WHY ARE YOU AT WORK? Go f-ing home and stop infecting everyone who didn't have a problem before you showed up all sickly. I'm already starting to feel tingly and stuffy.

My employer has a great sick leave policy (you get paid if you're sick and there's no spoken limit - obviously easy to abuse but they watch it carefully) and relatively good policies about working from home and everyone has a laptop.

Is it like this all over the place or just in my germy office?

Liatris2010 · September 2014

Preach!!! I cannot stand when people come to work or school sick. I cannot tell you how many students I've had walk into class to tell me that they have a stomach virus with fever and vomiting. Seriously? The health center will email me a note that says the same thing AND won't spread your nasty flu to the other 48 people in the room. Grosses me out.

kaos16 · September 2014

A little stuffiness or a sore throat doesn't bother me. Anything that might be contagious or makes a person flat out miserable. . . . keep your ass home! A lot of people here seem to come in sick to play the martyr. I am NOT impressed. I had a court partner years ago who would come in hacking, coughing and sneezing while leaving used tissues all over our common area. It made me ragey, and made me want to puke.

cupcait927 · September 2014

I hate when people come to work sick. My job gives you 7 days paid of sick time and then you can always dip into your vacation time if you need it (which, after the first year of employment, is pretty generous). You're not productive when you're sick and all you do is prolong the time it takes you to get better and you risk getting others sick.

FI's job also has no written sick time policy, with the exception of needing a note if you're going to be out more than 3 days. Fully paid and he doesn't have to worry about running out of days. This will be awesome when we have kids because he can be the one to stay home with them when they're sick.

emmyg65 · September 2014

My boss is actually really strict about this. She has no compunction about sending you home if you so much as sniffle. We don't work in a super high-powered, time-sensitive industry and we have very generous sick time, so there's no reason not to stay home!

falsara · September 2014

As much as I would love to agree. I understand why people at my University go to class sick. You only get 2 absences (have to be excused) and then the professors are required to start docking grades. BTW if you have a class that meets once a week, you can only miss it ONCE and then they start docking grades.

Most people save their sick days for family emergencies, or hospital visit sickness so that they don't fail.

If your work/ school has more lenient policy than this than I agree that you should stay home, that way you can get better faster. Some places just aren't that nice though.

KatieinBkln · September 2014

If you aren't contagious I don't care. On the other hand, I also have to commute with every single rhinovirus in the city, so it's kind of futile. I figure I'm either going to get it or not, and co-worker proximity has less to do with it than just generally being squashed together with millions of other people at all times.

daria24 · September 2014

Up until a few months ago, when NYC passed a law forcing mandatory paid sick leave, I never had a paid sick day. Everyone drug themselves to work violently ill. I hope eventually every state requires paid sick leave, because it makes a huge difference in the health of the office.

It sucks though, because even though we are guaranteed sick leave, a lot of companies punish you for taking it. The attitude in this industry towards their workers just sucks in general. Thankfully my current company and current boss are great.

Jells2dot0 · September 2014

People coming to work sick is one of the main reasons I am not working during my treatments. I can't risk being around anything or anyone contagious. My office is particularly bad about coming in sick, too. I try my best to stay home when I know I can pass something along, so it would be nice to think other people would do the same (we have paid sick time, so no excuse.)

banana468 · September 2014

I won't work with a fever but I've certainly worked with a bad cold and I've debt DD to preschool with a cold but no fever.

I get 3 sick days a year and I had to use them with my maternity leave. If I feel like crap between my back to work time and June, I either work it or take an unpaid day. With two kids that will be in daycare, I'm going to push to work as much as I can.

Maggie0829 · September 2014

If I have a cold or a sore throat I will go to work. If I am to the point that getting out of bed to go pee takes me 30 minutes because I have zero energy and feel like an elephant has walked all over me after I got hit by a semi, then I am staying home. I only have so much leave (I don't have separate sick leave, vacation leave, etc is is all lumped into one) and I don't want to use it just because I have a stuffy nose and a cough. But when I do go into work when I am not feeling my bests I stay in my cube, do my work and leave. Interaction with others just doesn't happen if I can help it. I also wash my hands a lot and disinfect my phone and keyboard constantly.

kat1114 · September 2014

I understand not wanting contagious people coming to work when they are sick, but unless I have a stomach ailment, I usually try to suck it up and go to work. And it's not because I am trying to play the martyr- I just don't accrue sick time very quickly. It takes me about 2 months to accrue enough sick time for a full 8 hours. I don't want to dip into vacation time, especially with our honeymoon eating up so much of it.

Also, we can go into "debt" for our vacation time and pay it back, but the same doesn't hold true with sick time and it sucks. I had surgery this year and needed week off but didn't have enough sick time. I had to dip into 2 days of vacation. Taking unpaid days (which I gladly would have done) wasn't even a choice.

loveislouder · September 2014

I'll come to work with the sniffles, but armed with hand sanitizer, and a box of kleenex because I have FAR too much to do to stay home, unless I'm like, vomity yucky sick. My boss is amazing though when it comes to sick leave.

My FI, on the other hand. He is an assistant manager of a fast food restaurant and gets in MAJOR shit if he doesn't come to work. He needs a doctors note if he misses any time, which is really hard to come by when it takes 2 weeks to get an appointment with your GP, and walk ins are always full. Short of going to the ER, he can't get a note. So it is very often people at his work are super sick and there because they're afraid of what would happen if they don't show. That being said, I def don't eat there, ever.

chibiyui · September 2014

We don't get paid sick days. Since I've moved in with H, I'm a lot more willing to take a day off when sick because I can now afford it. It used to be I only called off for stuff like strep throat. I make sure to get my flu shot cause I don't want to inadvertently kill someones grandma, but I (and many coworkers) would show up to work dead on our feet just to get a few hours.

Also, our HR person is a cunt, and anytime you call off is like "Are you sure you can't come in?" Yes bitch, I'm sure, unless you want me throwing up on every customer.

NowIamMrsKlein · September 2014

My work has a fairly generous sick time policy, except it takes time to accrue. About two months to get enough for a full day off. Because of this I like to try and come in if I can because I medication that I am on that I need blood tests in order to get it refilled. With the doctor shortage in my area you would need to take a day and a half off in order to get a blood req, get the blood taken and get back to the doctor for your prescription. If I am not feeling good I will do my best to isolate myself at work. Ill eat at my desk instead of the lunch room, and keep things santized. Its more important to me to suffer through work and be able to refill my meds then stay at home and have to scramble to try and figure out how to get them when i need them

larrygaga · September 2014

If I go into work sick I get into trouble because he work in hospice. I could actually kill someone. It's an awesome policy.

esstee33 · September 2014

We have no sick days at my company, so half my department is sick basically from Sept - Mar. I stay home if I have a fever, I'm throwing up, or I'm otherwise so sick that I really just can't function like a normal human being, but otherwise, I can't afford to call off.

KatieinBkln · September 2014

The other problem with taking sick days (even if you have a generous policy, like my office does) is that the work...still has to get done. So I am always judging whether it's better to have one kind of shitty, sniffly day at work, or take the day off, and then come back to a pile-up of shit to do and work late. Anticipating that doesn't exactly make for a restful sick day, KWIM?

JCbride2015 · September 2014

I'll stay home if I have a fever, vomiting, or I'm contagious. Or if generally I'm so sick or in so much pain that I just can't be productive. But I'm very prone to upper respiratory stuff and I get colds a lot, so if I missed work every time I had a cold, I'd never get anything done. If my doctor says I'm not contagious, I will probably still come to work armed with a lot of tissues and hand sanitizer.

KatieinBkln said:

If you aren't contagious I don't care. On the other hand, I also have to commute with every single rhinovirus in the city, so it's kind of futile. I figure I'm either going to get it or not, and co-worker proximity has less to do with it than just generally being squashed together with millions of other people at all times.

So much this. I've actually gotten sick much less since I moved to the NY area, I think because I'm just blasting my immune system into shape every time I get on the subway.

amakayeb · September 2014

KatieinBkln said:

The other problem with taking sick days (even if you have a generous policy, like my office does) is that the work...still has to get done. So I am always judging whether it's better to have one kind of shitty, sniffly day at work, or take the day off, and then come back to a pile-up of shit to do and work late. Anticipating that doesn't exactly make for a restful sick day, KWIM?

As a teacher, being out sick is 10 times more work than just muddling through the day with a cold. If I have a fever, stomach bug, or am contagious, I will call out, but otherwise, it's just not worth it!

lightningsnow · September 2014

The only time I went into work when I was pretty sick was when I ended up getting a throat infection/virus the day I started my last job. It sucked because my position was as a front desk admin and answered the phones all day. I could barely talk though. I felt bad for the people I spoke to on the phone.

lovesclimbing · September 2014

I've been at my job for three months and I only have just over a day of sick leave built up. And only a couple days of time off (which I just used.) So staying at home when sick is not really an option. Also I work in a small newsroom which is short staffed, so it's really really tough on them if I'm not there.

I'm lucky that I almost never get sick, and never badly sick. Last week, I was slightly sick with a stuffy nose, but that's it. I haven't been feel terrible sick in over a decade.

l9i · September 2014

People are pretty good about staying home here, we have a pretty good sick leave policy. I'll go to work if it's just a running nose or sore throat but not if it's worse. The way our floor is set up is sectioned off so you're in an area with three other people, my quad mates. Not too long ago the one girl came in and was hacking EVERYWHERE. We told her she needed to go work from home today an she left at lunch when her boss firmly agreed. Even if you aren't contagious no one wants to hear that or take a chance....

climbingsingle · September 2014

Yes! I hate it when people come to work sick. The number one culprit of this is one of the owners. He barely does anything, so why doesn't he stay the fuck home!? He gets sick every year, comes in, sneezes and coughs all over everyone and gets us all sick.

I always tell my assistant to stay home if she's ill. We have more than enough sick time. I'd rather her be out. I mean, we make cheesecakes, not medical devices. We'll get by.

wandajune6 · September 2014

In past jobs, I would go to work unless I'm contagious or have a stomach ailment. I'm in a much more flexible situation now so I'll usually just work from home when I'm not feeling well.

l9i · September 2014

As a side note/interesting story there is only once I remember going to work when I was very sick. I also work as a youth swim coach (more of a hobby than a job). I'm sure not go when I'm sick unless I absolutely have to because I'm around kids, I don't want them sick. One year we had a big weekend meet where the three of us coaches all got food poisoning on the first day. The next day for the meet we were all calling each other to say we wouldn't be there because we were sick. Well obviously someone has to go, we can't all not show up. So we all go and I swear only one of us was ever on deck at a time - longest meet of my life.

HaileyDancingbear · September 2014

I work with kids. Every once in a while some doofus will try to drop off a clearly sick kid. A sick KID. Seriously, they lick and cough and sneeze on EVERYTHING. It's like they have some sort of primal instinct to mark their territory with germs. We've had days where we have to stay behind for a few extra hours and sanitize every single toy we have, and all the doorknobs, and the floors, and all the benches/tables, etc. because someone brought in a sick kid.

We've actually had to call parents within 10 minutes of dropping off their kid because the poor thing is CRYING. Their head/stomach hurts so bad they can't bring themselves to do anything but curl up in a ball and cry. Why the hell would you torture your own kid like that, by expecting them to participate in a class when they're literally crying in pain, and expose everyone else to that level of sick?

smalfrie19 · September 2014

I don't mind co workers coming in sick (unless you got the plague) but I have a co worker who bring in HER SICK KID TO WORK!!! I am like knock that shit off! This is an office space, no place for children, especially not sick kids!

LondonLisa · September 2014

I'm with you there- I have a colleague who comes in ALL. THE. TIME. when sick. Whilst nice, she is very type A who likes to let everyone know that she is working harder and better than you. Last year, she came in unwell and gave our whole office the flu!

Now it is not like we are in banking or traders, where presenteeism is rampant. The head of my department actually made her go home when she came in with Norovirus last year (which is super contagious). Every time she sneezes or coughs, everyone in the office avoids her. It is so frustrating! Just stay home!

southernbelle0915 · September 2014

smalfrie19 said:

I don't mind co workers coming in sick (unless you got the plague) but I have a co worker who bring in HER SICK KID TO WORK!!! I am like knock that shit off! This is an office space, no place for children, especially not sick kids!

WHAT? Where do you work where that's even tolerated?

flyingfoxes · September 2014

My work is kind of ass-y about this. I've used 2 sick days in 4.5 years. The first one, my boss questioned my coworker about whether or not I was feeling bad the day before I called in. Um, ok. The second time I went to Urgent Care and got on antibiotics for whatever was going on in my head/chest and got a note just because I felt like being a dick and giving her a note if she was just going to question my sick day.

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