sick days

[starbuck]

So Im home sick again due to this horrible cold going around. I think that someone sneezed on Manhattan because everyone seems to have it now. I wanted to go in to work because I'm getting horribly bored staying home, but I also felt like I wasn't giving myself enough of a chance to rest. I'm definitely not one of those "matyr" types I've previously worked with who will go into the office no matter how ill they feel. Plus, I don't want to subject the rest of the world to my germs.

Do you go to work when you're sick? Or stay out? Or do you not have the luxury of staying out, i.e., you work by the hour?

[shh!]

If you can believe it, there is a LOT of pressure to work when sick at the hospital.

[Cain]

If you can believe it, there is a LOT of pressure to work when sick at the hospital.

Which I think is ridiculous. You'd think that it would be the opposite.

[starbuck]

That is totally scary, although it doesn't surprise me.

It's like that at my job, too. I feel the pressure sometimes to go in while sick. Then when I do, everyone complains that I'm going to get the whole office sick as if I'm going around licking everyone's keyboards.

Which is why I'm home. I'll get better faster and I won't have to hear their comments.

[ecojeanne]

ye i completely agree there is pressure sometimes. I worked in a company before that used to penalise people who called in sick. Of course there are some people who do take the piss. But i do think penalising people to the point of not receiving bonuses/not being able to apply for other positions in the company is going too far. am i right in thinking in america you are allowed a certain amount of sick days and that if you didn't take them, you can take them at the end of the year as vacation days off?

[shh!]

I think everyone should stay home when they are sick. Unfortunately, the hospitals are so short-staffed, it is catastrophic when someone calls in sick.

[starbuck]

ye i completely agree there is pressure sometimes. I worked in a company before that used to penalise people who called in sick. Of course there are some people who do take the piss. But i do think penalising people to the point of not receiving bonuses/not being able to apply for other positions in the company is going too far. am i right in thinking in america you are allowed a certain amount of sick days and that if you didn't take them, you can take them at the end of the year as vacation days off?

It depends on the company. At my company you get a certain set amount of vacation and personal days. As for sick days, there's no limit since you don't really know when you're going to get sick.

[Gribble]

I usually go in sick and tough it out, thus spreading my germs around and making everyone else sick too.