Community Chat

[sashamatthews]

I run a small business.  I don't want anyone working sick.  S/he will simply spread it around, and then where am I?  We pay in full for our employee medical/dental insurance premiums - but try to get them to go to the doctor or get a flu shot.  

[tototwo]

@Anonymous032819-- when you get sick, then you stay home. If you have a generous sick leave policy, take advantage of it. 

[roeroe1005]

When I worked in corporate, my last position was in International.  I remember my supervisor, GC & SVP, was having a big meeting with his direct reports from all over coming to our office.  Wouldn't you know it, I caught an awful cold.  Years later, I still remember feeling like death warmed over and having to go into work, drive these folks around and be the perfect little hostess.  At the end of a long day, I would flop into bed, exhausted and sick.  But I had to be in work.

The position I retired from was secretary to the Principal in a 7-12 school.  Uh, talk about germs!  Have you been around a 12 year old?!  I was very lucky, I had just about one cold a year.  But I went thru a large box of individual wipes just about every month!  Kept them in a beach pail.  My phone was off limits to everyone, I wiped down everything, copier, coffee machine, fridge handle, etc.  And I handed out wipes the way some people hand out candy!  I was brutal!  But I was healthy!

[Gorgf]

@roeroe1005  I was just thinking of the High School secretary who used to have  students use her phone about 10 years ago or so. Sne got so sick with a flu. That practice had to stop and did.

Then there  is the employee that get sick after coming to work  and struggles to try and make it through the day.  You feel for them  and everyone around them.  My last job was in Head Start and staff were always sick. Those kids  like to get so close to you and trying to sanitize toys all the time. I gradually got more immune  but coughed  most of the first year. Pink eye was common  for staff to be out and that is contagious.

Retired is great, rarely ill.

[CLHS68]

Her age may have a bering on it. Older folks did not stay home for every little thing. If you are not throwing up or running a fever then you work.

[QueenDanceALot]

Well, heck, I used to work with a woman who always showed up when she was sick, coughed all over everyone and their phones, and then bragged about how tough she was (everyone else were weenies) and insisted she wasn't contagious.

The boss was pretty much the same way.  She thought you didn't stay home unless you were dead.  It did surprise me one day when she heard me coughing with bronchitis (I was there because I didn't want to lose my job - we had no "sick" days) and told me to leave early and get to a doctor.

I was stunned!

[Lipstickdiva]

It's frustrating if people do get sick time and they still drag themselves to work because what people do when they come to work sick is pass it around to everyone else.  I work in a small office.  If one person gets sick, there is a chance others get sick as well.  People brag about how they drag themselves to work and all I think of is yeah, and you make others sick. Thanks.

I used to work somewhere and we got 6 sick days a year.  One of my co-workers would drag herself to work when she was sicker than a dog.  She had small children and if they got sick, she took them to the sitter. She wouldn't call off to stay home with them either.  Then she would call off sick just because she didn't feel like coming to work. Essentially she was using her sick time like a vacation day.  I just used to chuckle about how snowed she had the bosses.

[suzyQ3]

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@STYLE wrote:

I feel badly that she is 72 and still working.  Must love her job!

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Tons of people still work at age 72 and older, @STYLE  Why wouldn't they if they want to or have to?

[Spurt]

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@Lipstickdiva wrote:

It's frustrating if people do get sick time and they still drag themselves to work because what people do when they come to work sick is pass it around to everyone else.  I work in a small office.  If one person gets sick, there is a chance others get sick as well.  People brag about how they drag themselves to work and all I think of is yeah, and you make others sick. Thanks.

I used to work somewhere and we got 6 sick days a year.  One of my co-workers would drag herself to work when she was sicker than a dog.  She had small children and if they got sick, she took them to the sitter. She wouldn't call off to stay home with them either.  Then she would call off sick just because she didn't feel like coming to work. Essentially she was using her sick time like a vacation day.  I just used to chuckle about how snowed she had the bosses.

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@Lipstickdiva 

Yep, we have those people at the office I work at ....

they call in sick because "they didn't feel like coming to work" and then towards the end of the year all their vacation and sick days were used up so if they got the flu they ended up coming in because otherwise they would be charged with unexcused time off without pay and they needed money to pay their bills, plus it wouldn't look good on their record....So they come in and get everyone sick and gripe at the meetings how come they can never get time off around Christmas....well who was it that used up all their time "just because they didnt feel like coming in".....and they were bold about that too....

[Silver Lining]

This might sound crazy but it's the truth. My entrance job had a good salary and nice benefits. We earned one sick day per month but the director frowned on us using it. Sick leave had to be approved and could be denied. If it wasn't approved your pay was docked. She kind of jokingly said you better be in an ambulance or a hospital bed if you call in sick. The other warning was if you don't come to work and you don't call right away, the morgue will have to call and confirm you couldn't.