Why Don't Americans Take Sick Days?

[Deleted]

huh?
huhh?

HUUUUHHUHUH?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37353742

[Dextroden]

huh?
huhh?

HUUUUHHUHUH?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37353742

Did...did they really compare people too poor to skip any work to fucking Clinton? Get the fuck out of here.

[zenkai]

huh?
huhh?

HUUUUHHUHUH?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37353742

Lots of reasons.

1. Some people feel their company can't function without them.
2. Even when you are sick it seems so many employers still expect you to show up, this is very true in low wage jobs
3. Non Salary poor people can't afford to miss work.
4. It's almost like people think you're faking unless you show proof.


I worked for a small company once, the VP was the Presidents daughter, she had a baby and he took a laptop into the hospital expecting her to work, HIS OWN DAUGHTER. She told him to **** off lol.

[Kathandira]

huh?
huhh?

HUUUUHHUHUH?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37353742

Pfft. I have 24 days of PTO a year. And I take every one of them.

[zenkai]

Did...did they really compare people too poor to skip any work to fucking Clinton? Get the fuck out of here.

Don't you remember when Clinton was dead broke? She does! http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...re-dead-broke/

[Altrec]

I always associated taking a "holiday" with taking a vacation. What exactly does staying home sick have to do with a holiday?

As for why we often work even when sick it is because we are a bunch of tryhards that won't let the sniffles get us down, and because if I have to be sick so should everyone I work with.

[Deleted]

in the uk it's frowned upon if you dont take 5 sickie days a year in addition to your typical 28 days annual leave.

[Deleted]

Jesus, one of the worst clickbait topic including the worst arguments ever used to open a topic. Why not just write the thread title and type /10 chars ^^

It is about sick leave, not holidays and ofc "Americans" take both.

how much do you tip?

[babyback]

Because the US is a 3rd world country when it comes to infrastructure and employment laws.

[Swizzington]

Because the US is a 3rd world country when it comes to infrastructure and employment laws.

Kinda. Does seem like employees don't get anywhere near as much protection as other countries.

[chazus]

Many jobs require documentation for taking a sick day. If you just feel like crap, you can't go to the doctor for that (or if you do, the co-pay is more than its worth to take the day off).

Anyone making less than $20/hr probably tries to avoid sick days if possible. There's also the fact that if you have limited sick days... Would you rather use them because of 'feel like crap' or save them for when you are legitimately sick or injured?

I've seen both sides of the coin.

At one job, I injured my back and was unable to walk or work for ~3 months. not only did I get disability pay, but my job continued to give me my normal paycheck. This was largely because I wasn't replaceable, and if I left or didn't come back, the company would go under.

On the other side, I've worked at a business that REQUIRED doctors notes for any days taken off, and 3 days off (or even more than 30 minutes late) for any reason gets you fired. Car break down on the way to work, or there was an accident and it took an hour to get there? Thats one strike. Had to take the kids to the doctor? That's two, because YOU aren't sick. Had to stay home because a contractor is doing work and needs to be let in? It's not you being sick, so that's three.

It goes both ways but right now low wage jobs are brutal.

[Captain N]

Because the US is a 3rd world country when it comes to infrastructure and employment laws.

Pretty much. We also like to attack any type of organized labor that would allow us to change said infrastructure and laws....

[rhackin]

huh?
huhh?

HUUUUHHUHUH?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37353742

a. What is 'holiday'? Do you mean vacation?
b. Cause we're not lazy as fk like Euros.

Anything of any significance that has been developed or created in the past 150 years has either been completely done by the U.S. citizenry; has been heavily influenced by the U.S. citizenry, or was made possible by what the U.S. model of hard work, creativity, competition, capitalism has given the world.

You're welcome. Now go back to sipping your whatever at your bistro.

[Darsithis]

There are a lot of reasons, even for someone like me:

1 - I telecommute, like hundreds of thousands of Americans, so it feels pointless to take sick days
2 - Some people can't afford it. When you're living paycheck-to-paycheck, losing even a few hours pay can be a serious hurdle
3 - A cultural mentality that we need to work hard at all times to pay off for later (even though later never seems to come)
4 - Fear of losing our jobs

[Deleted]

in the uk it's frowned upon if you dont take 5 sickie days a year in addition to your typical 28 days annual leave.

in the past i have basically just treated my sick days as extra holiday, woke up a bit tired? thats a sick day!

the best is when its a hot day, and suddenly 10 people are sick that day

[LaserSharkDFB]

Many jobs require documentation for taking a sick day. If you just feel like crap, you can't go to the doctor for that (or if you do, the co-pay is more than its worth to take the day off).

Anyone making less than $20/hr probably tries to avoid sick days if possible. There's also the fact that if you have limited sick days... Would you rather use them because of 'feel like crap' or save them for when you are legitimately sick or injured?

I've seen both sides of the coin.

At one job, I injured my back and was unable to walk or work for ~3 months. not only did I get disability pay, but my job continued to give me my normal paycheck. This was largely because I wasn't replaceable, and if I left or didn't come back, the company would go under.

On the other side, I've worked at a business that REQUIRED doctors notes for any days taken off, and 3 days off (or even more than 30 minutes late) for any reason gets you fired. Car break down on the way to work, or there was an accident and it took an hour to get there? Thats one strike. Had to take the kids to the doctor? That's two, because YOU aren't sick. Had to stay home because a contractor is doing work and needs to be let in? It's not you being sick, so that's three.

It goes both ways but right now low wage jobs are brutal.

Basically this. I had a job with sick days about 15 years ago, but that was the only one. Mostly I've done temp work since then, and temp agencies aren't required to provide even basic benefits like vacation time, but even the permanent job I have now doesn't offer sick days.

Also, 28 days?! That's an inconceivable amount of time. I get five, and may get ten next year. Even if you count weekends in that, four weeks vacation probably won't show up until I've been here ten years at least.

[Adam Jensen]

Because we get like two sick days a year, if we're lucky, and if we're really lucky, they're paid time off.

Because paid time off for a sick day is socialism or something right?

[Kanegasi]

Ha. I take a ton of sick days, and most of the time I'm not even sick. Union says sick days can never be challenged unless you take three or more in a row, so I just call in whenever without making a noticeable pattern.

Also, I effectively get one whole sick day every two biweekly paychecks.

[Tyrianth]

There are a lot of reasons, even for someone like me:

1 - I telecommute, like hundreds of thousands of Americans, so it feels pointless to take sick days
2 - Some people can't afford it. When you're living paycheck-to-paycheck, losing even a few hours pay can be a serious hurdle
3 - A cultural mentality that we need to work hard at all times to pay off for later (even though later never seems to come)
4 - Fear of losing our jobs

I mean 2 and 4 shouldn't really be an issue. Decent worker rights laws should protect you from both of those (minimum paid time off and not being able to strip a person of their livelihood due whatever reason your King boss sees fit.

[Halicia]

I don't know how true this is, but from personal anecdotes, it seems most employers don't differentiate between sick days & vacation days.

So if you plan on taking a vacation, you have to work while sick.

That and any form of healthcare reform gets shot down as filthy communism.