Sick Days From Work

[Dr Markus]

I obviously can’t speak for non Irish people, but here you can have a certain amount of sick days off from work in most jobs. Even if you’re not sick, but say you have two or three “sick” days left before they expire (Usually before the start of the new year) you can take them even if there’s nothing wrong with you. Do you think this is right? Does the whole “I’m entitled to them and can use them as I see fit” argument hold water? Or should they be used solely for intended purpose.

[The Modernist]

I'm having one now. To be honest I do feel a bit guilty about it, but I have a heavy cold and felt rotten when I woke up at 6.00 to get ready for work. If I worked locally I would probably have gone in, but the thought of three hours plus travelling when feeling like this really wasn't very welcoming. Also the workload has increased dramatically in my job and its become quite pressurised, I just didn't feel up to it. Anyway I'm going back to bed now! I might try and do some work from home in the afternoon.

[The Prof]

I haven't had a day off sick in 25 years.

[Dr Markus]

I haven't had a day off sick in 25 years.

I wish you'd take one or two from here.

[Penk!]

I work in the office in a school and one of my particular responsibilities is arranging cover for teachers who are away.

Some people are never off sick. Others seem to get sick once every two or three weeks.

People who take sick days when they aren't really sick are cunts.

[Bungo the Mungo]

I'm freelance and so taking a sick day means losing....well, you'd laugh if I told you how much, but let's just say it's my food for a week.

Taking a sick day when you're not really sick is a nice feeling, tho' - it's the same feeling that you had when you were a kid taking a day off school. I don't think you lose that.

[The Dríver]

In the UK I think I'm right in saying that there's a sort of unwritten rule that you can have a certain number of days off sick in a calendar year (that short term, self-certification sick). As long as you don't exceed that number no-one will say anything at your annual appraisal. I'm not aware, however, of it being common policy to allow people to take any of this allowance off effectively as extra holiday - it doesn't make any sense commercially (unless there's already a miserly holiday allowance in place).

I'm not sure that I would express my opinion of people who take sick days when they aren't sick in quite as strong terms as penk, but i agree with his position on the matter. Depending on what you do a day off sick often means that everyone else has to increase their workload a little to cover your absence. If you're genuinely ill I doubt most people would have a problem with that, but if it's because you can't be bothered that's a different matter.

Sick days because of a hangover are inexcusable.

[The Prof]

I haven't had a day off sick in 25 years.

I wish you'd take one or two from here.

Bumb tish.

[never/ever]

Kinda funny that 'taking a sickie' here in Australia is considered 'a way of life'- at least when you hear some people talk about it. Mostly people that hate their jobs.

[trans-chigley express]

People who take sick days when they aren't really sick are cunts.

As an employer I agree. I insist on doctor's notes for more than one day of sick leave. I had a guy last year who was frequently off sick and produced sick notes but I discovered they were faked and fired him. Sick day allowance should not be abused, it's effectively stealing from your employer.

At the other extreme there's been times when an over-concientious employee has rolled into work looking like they're at death's door. I appreciate the enthusiasm for their job but there comes a point when you really should stay in bed rather than spread your sickness about.

[Beetee]

My wife and i have a business. so we can only stay home when we are really really sick. Like i cant get out of bed sick. And even then we usually have to get involved by phone sometime during the day. So i am not too happy with people who have sick days and take them cause they have them.
My cousins husband works for the NYC Sanitation Dept. he was telling me they had such a problem with people taking sick days that they now show up at your house unannounced to see if you are home when you call in sick. And you better be home or youre in big trouble

[Limpin' Jez McKenzie]

I have some kind of cold/bug that has been making me miserable for four days. I am at home today. But during that time I have worked all day and half the night. Yes that includes Saturday and Sunday.

[Penk!]

People who take sick days when they aren't really sick are cunts.

As an employer I agree. I insist on doctor's notes for more than one day of sick leave. I had a guy last year who was frequently off sick and produced sick notes but I discovered they were faked and fired him. Sick day allowance should not be abused, it's effectively stealing from your employer.

At the other extreme there's been times when an over-concientious employee has rolled into work looking like they're at death's door. I appreciate the enthusiasm for their job but there comes a point when you really should stay in bed rather than spread your sickness about.

Yeah, no one is going to complain if you are really ill, but there is a big difference between people who will try and come to work unless they absolutely can't, and those who will stay home with a bit of a headache or a runny nose.

In Sweden the law to discourage pulling a sickie is that you lose your pay for the first day of illness and are paid 80% of your normal salary for any further absence after that first day. Still doesn't seem to stop some people, though.

In Spain, my girlfriend worked for a reputable NPO (not a famous one outside of its own field). One of her colleagues was listed as having had over 150 sick days in the year. Turned out this woman was only really on the payroll because she was the boss's coke dealer and needed a legit job.

[Dr Markus]

I think it’s pretty bad form, but there are people out there are feel like if they are entitled to something, even when they don’t need it, they have to take it. It’s the knock on effect of someone taking a sick day they don’t need that doesn’t get mentioned a lot. Simply put, more hands make for lighter work. Depending on the job, taking a sick day when you don’t need could/will put pressure on someone else to pick up the slack. That in turn could create a culture of taking unneeded sick days. The common phrase would be “well they took one, so I’m gonna take one”. All in all it’s the business that will probably suffer and that itself leads to problems. Profits fallings from work not being means that there has to be efforts to get them back up.

[Guy E]

In my office they're now conjoined together as PTO - Paid Time Off. Take them as you wish, but if you get really, really sick you'll have to cancel that trip to Hawaii (or take some UPTO).

The thing I hate the most is when people are sick and come into the office and make everybody else sick. Take a couple days off for Christ's sake.

[sloopjohnc]

I burn most of my sick days staying home with the kids so I never get to take mine, but that's okay because I'm rarely sick more than one or two days a year, maybe.

I haven't done it in years, but because I never took my sick days, I'd call in sick on a Wednesday and just sit home and play guitar and write songs. But like I write, I'd never abuse it. I'd do it maybe once a year.

Companies don't do this anymore, but you used to be able to save up your sick and vacation days and carry them over to the next year. When I'd quit companies, I'd have something like 3 or 4 years built up and cash 'em out to a pretty good chunka change.

[hookfinger]

In my office they're now conjoined together as PTO - Paid Time Off. Take them as you wish, but if you get really, really sick you'll have to cancel that trip to Hawaii (or take some UPTO).

The factory I worked at did that and I hated it because then people would not bother to put in for a vacation day (and thus no one was scheduled to cover) and you ended up busting your ass to cover someone else's job and yours as well. Then when I pulled the same stunt in retaliation, after not having taken a sick day in several years, I got beat up over it.

Now that I own a small business, if someone calls in sick I have to cover it oftimes having to work unplanned from open to close. Damn straight you better be sick or I'm gonna know. Generally getting sick doesn't happen over night and if you are really sick I will help you plan for it and pay you. If you fuck me over, plan on getting stuck with the shitty jobs and shifts for a few weeks.

[soundchaser]

One of the many many things I don't miss about working, is having to have a back to work interview with your employer: it took all the fun out of throwing a sickie. Now I've only got myself to blame if I don't feel like going out for a brisk walk, which is as close as I come to work these days.

[Guy E]

Damn straight you better be sick or I'm gonna know.

I can understand your point running a small business or being on a crew where a missing pair of hands is a big hardship. Taking a day off in my profession would rarely be such an issue unless there' s a looming deadline and it's not as if throwing on another pair of hands will help move things along... there's a learning curve on any given project.

Personally, I think people should take them and I'm also a strong believer in Mental Health Days... sometimes you need to decompress. It might not be a factor for the European BCB'ers, most of whom get generous vacation packages, but Americans are lucky if they get two weeks off per year.

[Dr Markus]

I wonder how many sick days JQW gives the administrators on here off?