US Retail Workers: Why not show up to work sick?

[Narwal]

Sounds like some managers are just bad at... managing. If a company is not providing benefits to it's employees, it would benefit them to over-hire. If there are actual benefits/costs to hiring, I understand why they would keep employee numbers down. In this model of over-hiriing, people would be trying to get more hours, and people who have to miss work or want to miss work have other employees happy to fill those hours. All that you have to have is a manager who's capable of managing people, quickly and efficiently.

[Katchii]

This isn't true. I worked in a call center in California for a pretty big tech company, rated within top 10 customer service nationwide.
If you missed more than 6 days of work a year you could be on the chopping block. I fell into that category, had a bad year and being that there were 100+ people stuffed in a small converted warehouse with no rooms and less than 2 feet of space between agents, I got sick a lot.
The company called me in and threatened to fire me if I missed anymore work. I put in my 2 weeks notice on the spot to save them as a reference (they can't say anything negative), missed 2 more days of work for the hell of it, and made them pay me unemployment for a few months while I found something new.
Treat your employees like shit and it'll come back to bite you.

The issue really only comes up if you file and your ex-employer disputes it.

You can always file for unemployment, whether you were fired, quit or were laid off it's whether or not the claim will be approved that's the issue. If you file and you're accepted, then you're set. Some companies just don't want the hassle, don't have the time to go to court to be there to dispute the claim, or don't want people (authorities) asking questions so they just approve the unemployment claim, or some other reason.

You can't "make them" pay you unemployment. They approved it, or just didn't fight the claim.

[Damajin]

First off, who goes to the doctor if they have flu anymore. I don't know or have worked with anyone who bothers spending the money on run of the mill sickness like that you can home remedy away or deal with for a few days to a week. Secondly tons of people go to work sick, especially in retail. There was some random study of it last year or the year before, an increasingly large segment of the population does it and foregoes sick days and anything like that. Thirdly fast food is so low skill it's no surprise they will pull the trigger over anything.

[AeneasBK]

This might be a Euro/US culture difference but I don't think it is common for people to take time off sick in retail/hospitality. The people who take time off for "sickness" with any regularity are the kind that take time off for a "hangover" and are always asking to go hoome early if it isn't busy. Nothing wrong with that btw. Just the people who need the money will work through most illnesses that haven't hospitalised them.

You have days off for feeling ill.

[Stormdash]

So the US retail/fast food industry is one step above slave labor. Minimum wage, no vacation, no paid sick leave, very few workers actually designated as "full-time" in order to prevent paying workers benefits, no employer health care. Annual raise is usually something like $0.08 an hour, and so on.

I read stories about workers being told by their boss that if they doctor's note in showing they had the flu and had to miss work, they wont have a job when they come back to work. It doesnt help that a doctor's visit in the US without good health insurance is $80-120. It also doesnt help that you have to be showing symptoms (meaning puking or fever) when you go to the doctor in order to get a note, and they cant do shit about it to make the flu go away, making it a $120 visit to get a doctor's note. The average wage that you would have made while absent for a few days is probably somewhere around $80-100.

So rather than losing another $120 and exposing a bunch of people to the flu at the doctor's office to get a note, why not just go into work sick like your boss wants? Puke, cough etc in front of customers, then apologize and tell them that your boss said you had to get a doctor's note or else your fired, and due to your current wage you cant afford a doctor's visit to get a note. You'll piss off co-workers and customers, but wont their rage be directed to your boss for making you come in? He was going to fire you anyways, and now you might have cause to dispute the firing in court. I just wonder why more people dont make asshole managers eat their words in situations such as this.

Because "not a petulant child"?

[Captain N]

You have days off for feeling ill.

And many places punish people for using their Sick Time. In the hospital wing my wife works at they document any used Sick Time as an Attendance Occurrence. If you get three in a six month period it moves onto the next stage of discipline. It's a strange concept where people earn PTO but are penalized for using it when they need to use it.

[zenkai]

So the US retail/fast food industry is one step above slave labor. Minimum wage, no vacation, no paid sick leave, very few workers actually designated as "full-time" in order to prevent paying workers benefits, no employer health care. Annual raise is usually something like $0.08 an hour, and so on.

I read stories about workers being told by their boss that if they doctor's note in showing they had the flu and had to miss work, they wont have a job when they come back to work. It doesnt help that a doctor's visit in the US without good health insurance is $80-120. It also doesnt help that you have to be showing symptoms (meaning puking or fever) when you go to the doctor in order to get a note, and they cant do shit about it to make the flu go away, making it a $120 visit to get a doctor's note. The average wage that you would have made while absent for a few days is probably somewhere around $80-100.

So rather than losing another $120 and exposing a bunch of people to the flu at the doctor's office to get a note, why not just go into work sick like your boss wants? Puke, cough etc in front of customers, then apologize and tell them that your boss said you had to get a doctor's note or else your fired, and due to your current wage you cant afford a doctor's visit to get a note. You'll piss off co-workers and customers, but wont their rage be directed to your boss for making you come in? He was going to fire you anyways, and now you might have cause to dispute the firing in court. I just wonder why more people dont make asshole managers eat their words in situations such as this.

The problem with low paying jobs is, its chock full of people who really don't want to work and call in sick often. This is why they want doctor notes and such. If someone really is sick, no they shouldn't work I agree. I am just pointing out the problem.

[Ayla]

Actually went to the hospital the other day because I had an ear infection. I woke up at 4 am feeling like shit, couldn't hear anything went to the hospital for a sick note and medication. Got told that since I didn't have cash I couldn't have a sick note.

I now have an unexcused absence. One teacher was nice and accepted my parking ticket and bracelet as proof. Made it to one class and went home sick. Tried to go the next day and got out of bed, walked the dog to the curb and nearly fell down from dizziness. My balance is already modest at best on good days.

[fwc577]

Actually went to the hospital the other day because I had an ear infection. I woke up at 4 am feeling like shit, couldn't hear anything went to the hospital for a sick note and medication. Got told that since I didn't have cash I couldn't have a sick note.

I now have an unexcused absence. One teacher was nice and accepted my parking ticket and bracelet as proof. Made it to one class and went home sick. Tried to go the next day and got out of bed, walked the dog to the curb and nearly fell down from dizziness. My balance is already modest at best on good days.

Ouch, possibly get some dramamine. Might help.

[oxymoronic]

At will employment basically means you're fucked and have no job security.

or just means you have a shit job that anybody can replace without training or education. i think we all know which one it is.

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This isn't true. I worked in a call center in California for a pretty big tech company, rated within top 10 customer service nationwide.
If you missed more than 6 days of work a year you could be on the chopping block. I fell into that category, had a bad year and being that there were 100+ people stuffed in a small converted warehouse with no rooms and less than 2 feet of space between agents, I got sick a lot.
The company called me in and threatened to fire me if I missed anymore work. I put in my 2 weeks notice on the spot to save them as a reference (they can't say anything negative), missed 2 more days of work for the hell of it, and made them pay me unemployment for a few months while I found something new.
Treat your employees like shit and it'll come back to bite you.

you can just quit your job and collect unemployment? damn didn't know that

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As Nixx said...at will employment. My son got fired the other day because someone he was working with stole a "sizeable" sum of money out of his register. He wasn't the one who stole, but yet he was the one who was fired.

would you keep an employee that is that bad? to allow somebody else to steal from his register? what do you expect? the government to force the employer to keep a potential thief employed? sounds downright silly when you say that out loud huh.

[fwc577]

or just means you have a shit job that anybody can replace without training or education. i think we all know which one it is.

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you can just quit your job and collect unemployment? damn didn't know that

Honestly, quitting a job and collecting unemployment can be difficult. (At least where I'm from) You're required to provide proof that you were essentially forced to quit. You could quit and try to collect and if your employer doesn't challenge it, you could also collect.

[A dot Ham]

So the US retail/fast food industry is one step above slave labor. Minimum wage, no vacation, no paid sick leave, very few workers actually designated as "full-time" in order to prevent paying workers benefits, no employer health care. Annual raise is usually something like $0.08 an hour, and so on.

I read stories about workers being told by their boss that if they doctor's note in showing they had the flu and had to miss work, they wont have a job when they come back to work. It doesnt help that a doctor's visit in the US without good health insurance is $80-120. It also doesnt help that you have to be showing symptoms (meaning puking or fever) when you go to the doctor in order to get a note, and they cant do shit about it to make the flu go away, making it a $120 visit to get a doctor's note. The average wage that you would have made while absent for a few days is probably somewhere around $80-100.

So rather than losing another $120 and exposing a bunch of people to the flu at the doctor's office to get a note, why not just go into work sick like your boss wants? Puke, cough etc in front of customers, then apologize and tell them that your boss said you had to get a doctor's note or else your fired, and due to your current wage you cant afford a doctor's visit to get a note. You'll piss off co-workers and customers, but wont their rage be directed to your boss for making you come in? He was going to fire you anyways, and now you might have cause to dispute the firing in court. I just wonder why more people dont make asshole managers eat their words in situations such as this.

That's exactly what I did when I worked retail. You don't get sick pay when you are part time. So you don't work, you don't get paid. So I would go into work sick, if they sent me home, so be it. But I never asked for the time off.

[Nobleshield]

I don't know... honestly I find requiring a "doctor's note" like this is elementary school to be incredibly insulting to the employee and basically telling them that you feel they're garbage.

[fwc577]

I don't know... honestly I find requiring a "doctor's note" like this is elementary school to be incredibly insulting to the employee and basically telling them that you feel they're garbage.

It's exactly what it is. I work a real, salaried job. If I tell them I'm sick, I don't have anyone demanding a doctor note (however, if I'm out like a week claiming I'm sick, they will ask for one).

[Masark]

basically telling them that you feel they're garbage.

That seems to be the honest opinion of a lot of employers in the USA.

[Spectral]

So the US retail/fast food industry is one step above slave labor.

The steps where it's paid and voluntary seem like pretty relevant steps.

[Al Gorefiend]

I go to work sick. Laying in bed is for quitters, son.

Granted I don't work in retail but..

[Barnabas]

So the US retail/fast food industry is one step above slave labor. Minimum wage, no vacation, no paid sick leave, very few workers actually designated as "full-time" in order to prevent paying workers benefits, no employer health care. Annual raise is usually something like $0.08 an hour, and so on.

I read stories about workers being told by their boss that if they doctor's note in showing they had the flu and had to miss work, they wont have a job when they come back to work. It doesnt help that a doctor's visit in the US without good health insurance is $80-120. It also doesnt help that you have to be showing symptoms (meaning puking or fever) when you go to the doctor in order to get a note, and they cant do shit about it to make the flu go away, making it a $120 visit to get a doctor's note. The average wage that you would have made while absent for a few days is probably somewhere around $80-100.

So rather than losing another $120 and exposing a bunch of people to the flu at the doctor's office to get a note, why not just go into work sick like your boss wants? Puke, cough etc in front of customers, then apologize and tell them that your boss said you had to get a doctor's note or else your fired, and due to your current wage you cant afford a doctor's visit to get a note. You'll piss off co-workers and customers, but wont their rage be directed to your boss for making you come in? He was going to fire you anyways, and now you might have cause to dispute the firing in court. I just wonder why more people dont make asshole managers eat their words in situations such as this.

Because doing that will get you termed anyway. It isn't protected speech to complain publicly about compensation from your employer. They typically just fire you and you find another job with no recourse.

[Adam Jensen]

You think it's just retail that does this? There are nurses responsible for chemotherapy that get disciplined for attendance if they used their accrued sick time to stay home instead of possibly killing one of their patients. Just put on a mask and go to work....that's a hell of an approach to take when you're financially liable if something bad should happen.

Jesus H Christ. The people who need sick days the most, for the safety of everyone and not just themselves, are nurses.

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You would think we would have federal mandatory sick days or something... people going into work sick cost the government I think it was quoted at somewhere above 100bn. They also cause several deaths and totally fuck up productivity by making even more people sick. There is no reason to not have mandatory sick days aside from the illusion that money is being saved.

Federal mandated sick days and vacation time would be "socialism" so we can't have that.

[Molis]

At will employment basically means you're fucked and have no job security.

Nixx is correct.

Read the fine print of your employee handbook a vast majority of us are "At will" You can be fired or quit at a moments notice.