How often do you take a sick day at work?

[Pony Soldier]

Well I never really could take off sick unless I was actually majorly sick like throwing up or had a fever or something because I'm currently only part time (but I will be getting a full time position at my job come September) but if I were to take off sick it would only be if I was actually sick. I'm not like some people who call in sick just so they can have a day off. I absolutely hate when people do this because then I have to cover for their hours while they can bullshit around. I wouldn't mind it if I knew that the person actually had to do something important but not just so you can have a day to yourself or something. Because of that, I would never do the same to someone else because I know how it feels to cover for someone's position when you know they aren't sick.

[Tradewind]

Since when is educating people, creating a hostile work environment? Most stress is caused by people being too agreeable and taking on more work they can handle. If people started to speak up and learn to say "no, I'm really busy here, I can't take on any more work at the moment", then it's bound to reveal flaws in the system which could end up being rectified. People taking sick days because they're not feeling up to it on any given day, just creates more 'stress' for the office.

You say I have zero knowledge of workplace productivity, when I'm stating my opinion on people taking too much time off work? Why do you have to be condescending and edgy? If you don't agree with me, state so and give your reasons, I'm happy to read them, but don't assume something that simply isn't true.

Judging by your posts, I am dubious as to your methods of "educating."

[Sunseeker]

Since when is educating people, creating a hostile work environment? Most stress is caused by people being too agreeable and taking on more work they can handle. If people started to speak up and learn to say "no, I'm really busy here, I can't take on any more work at the moment", then it's bound to reveal flaws in the system which could end up being rectified. People taking sick days because they're not feeling up to it on any given day, just creates more 'stress' for the office.

Thank you, you just relieved my stress by making me laugh at your ignorance over how the workplace works. People who don't accept the "extra work" get put on the short buss to termination. Not taking extra hours when the boss offers is basically a death knell to job progression and a fast track to being fired. The "flaws in the system" is that "the system" is terribly understaffed and if there was additional staff then there wouldn't be a need for people to work overtime and risk their health in order to maintain their job.

People don't say "no" because saying "no" to an employer doesn't mean "sorry boss, I just can't handle the extra hours" it means "Sorry boss, I really don't want to do my job and would rather be lazy and just get paid than help out."

You say I have zero knowledge of workplace productivity, when I'm stating my opinion on people taking too much time off work? Why do you have to be condescending and edgy? If you don't agree with me, state so and give your reasons, I'm happy to read them, but don't assume something that simply isn't true.

You should try reading your own posts. I shouldn't have to repeat your own statements for you to realize how out of touch they are with the way business is run.

Judging by your posts, I am dubious as to your methods of "educating."

This.

[Annoying]

No they're not. If you were genuinley ill at 6:30am in the morning and faced a journey to work with an 8 hour shift, you're NOT going to be motivated by an extra days holiday. The only thing you're going to be thinking about is getting back into bed.

A cold doesn't go in a day. They usually last quite a few days. If the average person has a cold every year, that's already 4 or 5 days + any sickness on top of it. Sorry, don't agree with you there. I've been around people with colds and I don't get one. Perhaps due to the hygiene at work, but if you're healthy (which you're responsible for) I don't believe you're going to catch a cold from a few people sneezing around you. Regular hand washing and extra caution = win.

You say "already" like 4 or 5 days is something large.

That's abysmally low. 5 whole days out of 261 working days.

[Tommy T]

Judging by your posts, I am dubious as to your methods of "educating."

How so? Managing your own stress levels is a vital lesson for anyone.

People need to know their limits.

[Tradewind]

How so? Managing your own stress levels is a vital lesson for anyone.

People need to know their limits.

Because you're coming off as incredibly holier than thou.

[Deleted]

How so? Managing your own stress levels is a vital lesson for anyone.

People need to know their limits.

Crack that secret and you will solve PTSD, an automatic nobel prize.

[Tommy T]

Because you're coming off as incredibly holier than thou.

Judging by the poll results, I'm actually in the majority.

I have perhaps one or two days off a year. I know people who haven't been off 5 years.

[Captain N]

My business allows people to take 2 weekday "Sick Days" and 1 weekend "Sick Day" per month - Since a good portion of our workers come from an Extra Board there isn't set off days so everyone is allowed a 24 Hour Sick Day/Family Sick/Personal/Court/etc. day if something comes up.

People holding regular jobs (people who have set off days) are allowed one weekday and one weekend "Sick Day" per month. However if you're on a job that has Tuesday and Wednesday Off - Taking a Sick Day on either Monday or Thursday is considered a "Weekend" for you.

[Deleted]

I don't. Even if I'm sick, getting cover is impossible so unless I'm unable to get out of bed I usually still end up going in.

[Tradewind]

Judging by the poll results, I'm actually in the majority.

I have perhaps one or two days off a year. I know people who haven't been off 5 years.

How is the poll at all a reflection of your need to educate the people you work with to "just stop taking sick days?"

Jump to conclusions much?

[Garnier Fructis]

Never, by virtue of not working.

I am a student though, and I don't think I missed a day at all last year. It's not like I was sitting there spreading my germs; I just didn't get sick until the vacations.

[TJ]

Probably about 2 or 3 a year, providing that it's normal conditions and not something stupid. Since I started my current job, I've been doing all sorts of hours from doing long hours in the day and finishing late and then starting early, to starting early and then finishing early and starting late the next day, it's all over the place. This doesn't help me since I can't get a proper schedule for anything which obviously includes sleep. Most of the time I go to work with less sleep than I should, I try to get 8 hours and go to bed to get 8 hours but due to not being able to sleep because of my schedule.. you get the point. This can build up after a while and I can feel exhausted and sometimes ill.

It gets to me a lot as well because I'm not a morning person and I'm regularly up at 5am into a chilled wagon (1-2 degrees) doing hard physical work first thing in the morning, there's no go in early and have a cup of coffee and a warm up before starting the work, it will also be non stop for a few hours. This combined with a bad day can make you need to sleep in the afternoon and mess things up even more.

Had 2 days off last week which was mainly because of the reasons above, just examples. Most of you are probably thinking man up or w/e but I do find it tough sometimes, especially if you do feel a little bit ill as it gets worse doing a job like mine, not better if you're in an office in a warm environment trying to recover.

[NoRest4Wicked]

I've taken a few days since I worked at my current company (Jan 2013). A couple of those time I was genuinely sick, another time was when my gf had shingles and I needed to take care of our baby and once when my car broke down. My company starts out giving new employees 3 weeks of paid time off and another 5 days reserved for sick days. I don't see why taking allotted time (the sick days) is unreliable. I know the work culture in America sees taking vacation as lazy though, but I don't buy into that shit. Those sicks days are part of your benefits that supplement your salary and by never using it you are only losing what has been given to you.

Also, in my job (Software Engineering) I can remote in from home or you know... manage my deadlines properly to where taking a day off isn't going to wreak havoc.

[zolok2.0]

I never really take sick days, but last year I caught Mono and the flu at the same time and I was out for about 7 days (doctor said I should be out for at least 2 weeks) and my boss decided now would be a great time to take a vacation (3 people worked at this store) so I got strongarmed into coming back to work -WITH MONO AND THE FLU-. After that I took probably 1 sick day a week for the hell of it. Fuck them

[Gheld]

99.99999999% of employers don't give a fuck about their employees health, their clients health their dogs health.

If you take sick days, or any kind of day, if you get injured and go see a doctor instead of sucking it up and pretending you're fine, even if it's their fault due to providing deficient labour conditions the vast majority of employers (at least in North America) will chastise you directly or indirectly. Don't worry, your boss will take as many family sick injury emergency days as he wants, but if you do, suddenly you're a nobody, and you have 0 job security.

So all of this ladi dadi "you shouldn't risk making other people sick" idealism is crap. If that's how it works at your work place, then you don't work in a typical work place and sorry, but your narrow view of how the world works is unrealistic.

I'm tired, my body is broken, my health is garbage and there's nothing I can do about it. That's reality for the vast majority of the work force. Your boss doesn't care if you give everybody swine flu because he'll just eventually fire the people who use their sick days, whether or not they use them for legitimate reasons.

Like one time my supervisor was commenting my work ethic, the first thing that came to his mind was "you never call in sick".

[Annoying]

I know the work culture in America sees taking vacation as lazy though, but I don't buy into that shit. Those sicks days are part of your benefits that supplement your salary and by never using it you are only losing what has been given to you.

Precisely. And if the job doesn't include benefits like that? No thanks, I'll look elsewhere.

[Sunseeker]

Precisely. And if the job doesn't include benefits like that? No thanks, I'll look elsewhere.

It's extremely holier than thou of the OP to claim that using a provision of a contractual agreement between two parties is somehow "unfair". Sounds to me like someone didn't negotiate their contract very well.

[Deleted]

I'm never sick, so I take sick days when I need a vacation!

[Captain N]

The more posts I read the more I would hate to work in some of the establishments you guys do...I really hope Organized Labor makes a come back because I don't think I could deal with working for someone who made me come into work with Mono and the Flu.