Calling in sick to work-do you do it?

[Peder]

If a company wants people to come in sick, they should take responsibility for all members of the employees families that catch a terrible cold or flu from that sick employee. Its just not fair to expose young children or elderly relatives to that sort of thing. In the past I've caught terrible colds (and the Hong Kong Flu years ago), the kind that put one in the bed from co-workers that came in ill. I frankly resented it.

For an employer to require an employee to come in sick, is short sighted, and possibly criminal. And that employee should look for a new company to work for.

Pontalba,
I think that makes perfect sense.
Whenever I went into the office with mild symptoms of whatever, I always had the feeling that if I could do the work I was expected to be there. Otherwise I wasn't sick enough to stay home. And it was only later in my career that a supervisor suggested otherwise.
I was also expected to call in every day from vacation "in case something should come up." But that's off topic, so please nobody respond

Your average, every-day, happy wage slave,
Peder

 

[Wabbit]

If you are paid for sick days, and you call in "sick", and you are not, you are stealing from the company. It's theft. You are taking their money, giving them nothing in return, and doing it in a dishonest manner.

It's a form of embezzlement.

Stealing is when you take something from another that results in a loss. Taking a day off isn't stealing. If it was, there would be a lot of people in prison.

 

[angerball]

I generally only call in sick when I don't feel 100%. However, I don't see anything wrong with taking the odd "mental health" day. What about all the unpaid overtime that most people work these days??

 

[abecedarian]

The company my dh works for has had "Stress Leave" which really created stress for the folks left behind to cover all the people gone because of sick leave, and vacations, and now stress leave..Since a new company has taken over, I don't know if 'stress leave' is still available. I don't know if anyone has been desperate enough to test the waters...

 

[SFG75]

The company my dh works for has had "Stress Leave" which really created stress for the folks left behind to cover all the people gone because of sick leave, and vacations, and now stress leave..Since a new company has taken over, I don't know if 'stress leave' is still available. I don't know if anyone has been desperate enough to test the waters...

Oh man, I could use a few of those!.

 

[angerball]

The company I'm temping for finishes at 1pm on Friday. It makes it so much easier to get through the week, and I think if more companies did something along those lines, people wouldn't feel the need to "chuck a sickie".

 

[Wabbit]

Everybody should take a sickie once in awhile. Life is may fly short. Illicit days are the most delicious of days! Who knows it might be your last day on Earth. So if you are run down just pick up that phone and tell them how very sick you are! Nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

I have had to take a number of "sickie" days to take care of my wife when she was ill this summer/fall. Since then though, I haven't taken a sick day unless I honestly could not get out bed. Unfourtunately, a lot of people I work with come in when they're half dead, and therefore, I get sick more than I EVER did before this job.

 

[mehastings]

I have never had the opportunity to call out because I feel like going to the beach or something along those lines. I normally spend the entire winter getting sick over and over again because my asthma is so bad I'm a bit compromised. I usually drag it out until I can't function and then I call out sick. Even still, I have to have an FMLA because I otherwise violate my company's policy on call outs.

 

[SFG75]

Wow, I just can't believe that on a board this size, not one person has taken a day off and did so while not being sick. You guys are walking Horatio Algers....all of you. Myself included.

 

[blueboatdriver]

Horatio who?

 

[actonbell]

calling in sick

We're a good bunch I've called off work twice in seven years, both times in dire need. We no longer have "sick" days--it's all regarded as vacation time, and there's a limit to how often anyone can call off without getting into hot water for it. There are people who call off as many times as they can get away with it, every single year, where I work (not a highbrow joint). If WE had stress leave, the company would go under!

 

[SFG75]

Woke up today and saw that this was a big MSN article of the day.

Good excuses:

I'm too drunk to drive to work."


"I accidentally flushed my keys down the toilet."


"I had to help deliver a baby on my way to work." (Employee was not in the medical profession.)


"I accidentally drove through the automatic garage door before it opened."


"My boyfriend's snake got loose and I'm afraid to leave the bedroom until he gets home."


"I'm too fat to get into my work pants."


"God didn't wake me." (Employee didn't believe in alarm clocks and thought a higher power would wake her when she was ready.)


"I cut my fingernails too short, they're bleeding and I have to go to the doctor."


"The ghosts in my house kept me up all night."


"I forgot I was getting married today."


"My cow bit me."


"My son accidentally fell asleep next to wet cement in our backyard. His foot fell in and we can't get it out."


"I was watching a guy fixing a septic pump, fell in the hole and hurt myself."


"I was walking my dog and slipped on a toad in my driveway and hurt my back."


"My house lock jammed, and I'm locked in."

If you have to cut your fingernails short enough to miss work..... ...you've got issues.

 

[Geenh]

I probably call in when most people would go to work. I sometimes suffer from a rare form of headache that although makes my boss happy to see it (he's a neurologist) it's very difficult for me to do my job properly. Also, it physically manifests itself on my face so I look as if I was beaten all about the left side of my face. Generally, when I get them, I call in sick.

I never get the flu or anything of that sort - just these debilitating headaches.

 

[SFG75]

I probably call in when most people would go to work. I sometimes suffer from a rare form of headache that although makes my boss happy to see it (he's a neurologist) it's very difficult for me to do my job properly. Also, it physically manifests itself on my face so I look as if I was beaten all about the left side of my face. Generally, when I get them, I call in sick.

I never get the flu or anything of that sort - just these debilitating headaches.

When I'm at work, I get a nagging pain in my........rear end. Then, when I go home, I get a nagging pain in the neck(perhaps it's the wife?) I can't win, both top and bottom of me hurt all day.


Just kidding of course-sorry to hear of your ailment Greenh. Glad to hear that your work environment(I assume) is so understanding and great about things.

 

[Geenh]

yeah - my boss is very understanding! He presented my case at a conference in Japan. He gets to study me as long as he lets me have the days off! He's a headache specialist.

 

[SFG75]

yeah - my boss is very understanding! He presented my case at a conference in Japan. He gets to study me as long as he lets me have the days off! He's a headache specialist.

Wow...you were a case study at a conference!? Can't say that I have the same distinction, though I'll gladly pass on the headaches.

 

[Motokid]

I wish I could study Geenh

 

[Geenh]

Moto - Oh, is that true?

 

[Motokid]

oh yeah....down to the very finest detail you little outback hottie