Employees coming into work sick. Good or Bad? A poll.

When I worked for UPS, they needed a Doctors note every single time. They would even contact my Doctor, not that my doctor was allowed to say anything legally. Since it was such a hassle to miss work, I would just show up sick, and I stayed sick even longer.

 

BUT WE GOT OUR PACKAGES!!!

 

Go in and sneeze on him!

 

Contaminated, first disinfect before opening.

 

Checked my record at work, 8 sick days in the last 9 years...and we get up to 15 paid

 

If I'm contagious or I feel as though I might soil myself on the way to work, I stay home. I deal with the public, so I can get thousands of people sick if I try hard enough. But, management does take notes. Excessive sick leave needs to have a doctor's certification, but at some level there's always a cumulative penalty. You might not find out until you're up for promotion and they pass you over for failing to meet a standard they didn't tell you about.

It's like they don't mind people getting sick...they just don't want sickly employees.

(I checked both management expectations above.)

 

I haven't called in sick in over 4 years. I get 8hrs sick a month & 13.20hrs vacation a month. Flu shot is a requirement, psych hospital, but I take a week vacation off, every 6 weeks or I'll roll time over every year. Took 10 weeks this year.

 

I hate it when co-workers pull that nonsense and come into work sick.

So now everyone else gets infected and has to miss work because your selfish butt "really needs the money."

Hey, we all "need the money."

 

We pay for it in taxes, our income tax is 32%....

From Northern Sweden

 

It depends on how sick. Common cold isn't really a good excuse, you can catch a cold virus virtually anywhere, it could be from a fellow employee or just touching the handrail on public transport on the way in. Many people just have a common cold and think they have 'flu (influenza). If you've truly got that, work of any description isn't really possible.
What really annoys me is lack of personal hygiene, which is more responsible for the spread of illness than anything else. If people washed their hands frequently and coughed and sneezed into a handkerchief or tissue rather than all over every surface and their co-workers, virus spread would be reduced.
As an example, when we had the SARS scare in the UK a few years back, people were more careful, washing their hands more frequently. Most likely due to this extra care, the medical profession reported a measurable drop in gastro-intestinal illness that would have normally been expected.

 

I stay home. going to work and trying to match my not-sick productivity is definitely going to make me more uncomfortable if not actually sicker.

 

If I'm sick, I see the work doctor.
If he thinks I'm not fit, I get signed off.
If I'm signed off, I'm not allowed to go to work.

 

Before I retired I worked for 24 years in the garment industry. NO sick day pay. That factor influenced my decision to stay home or soldier on when not feeling well.

 

I'd say it depends on the level of sickness. I've called out for the flu before, but generally it's got to be something bad. Luckily I don't get sick much. We had one guy call out because he had a headache. I don't get sick days, but can use my Absence Reserve if I choose to.

 

Its a touchy subject. If we are in the middle of a show and its only a mild cold a lot of people will just tough it out. It's especially important if that person isn't replaceable (IE: head rigger, master electrician, etc) but its a double edged sword because you run the risk of getting the whole crew sick. While its a grey area I will say this. If your an up rigger working up on the grid or an electrician on the catwalk or in an aerial lift I'd prefer you be 100%. I understand that's not something the average person thinks about when talking about a sick person in the workplace but its certainly something I think about. I do EDC meds like nyquil in my backpack in case I gotta tough it out.

 

To voice different side of this discussion I have a heavily suppressed immune system, if someone comes into work sick I will get it 100%. I worked in one office which had a real come in no matter what attitude, and I got 2 or 3 flus in one year, I was sick for over a month each time, and it took me almost 2 more years to recover properly.

When people come into work sick, especially when they tough out more serious illnesses, even if it's just for the one important meeting if me right off.

I have watched whole open plan offices get sick, you can see it moving form desk to desk, then they next few people are out for a week with the flu. Was the one meeting, or coming in when your weren't all the way better really worth it to the company. Were talking about 20 people, so almost half a year of total sick time, all from patent zero who could have just stayed home for an extra few days to a week.

 

Some companies have rather punitive sick day policies, which strongly encourage people to come in when they're feeling questionable.

 

My wife's company (car dealership) allows 3 sick days per year, and only pays 70% on a sick day.

 

I call out if I'm bad. I work retail in the warehouse at my store. I possibly handle your foods from said store. We have a policy that states that I'm not to be there if I'm coughing and with a fever or if I am throwing up.