Sick people at Work

Whats your take on it?

People dont like it when sick ppl show up to work, mainly due to the fact that it increases the chances of other ppl getting sick.

However many of those sick ppl that show up to work need the money and cant afford to take time off. Not to forget that many employers get frustrated when ppl call in sick and want you back at the job asap.

I guess an other question to ask is... what constitutes as being sick?

[cubed]

being sick is one thing.

being contagious is something completely different.

I go into work sick all the time, but then again most of the time I'm alone in my own office.

[esoter1c]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

...what constitutes as being sick?

[galaxie]

I am a very, very strict "no sickies" boss. If you come to work sick, your ass is getting sent home. I don't need to get sick, I don't need you getting all of the other employees sick, so stay the fuck away! My staff seem to like this rule, especially since most managers expect you to drag your ass to work no matter what - usually because they're not very good managers and don't have a back-up plan! I still have the odd new hire who is 'scared' to call in sick, but this quickly changes when I send them home and cover their shifts for the next few days so they can get better.

Edit: As for what constitutes sick:
* anything contagious
* anything that makes you less than 100% effective at your job
* anything involving bad cough or bad sneezing (not exactly the greatest when dealing with the public all day)
* bad allergies (these will seriously affect your ability to perform)
* being hung over (my staff get one freebie, after that it's not so pretty, but I'd rather you tell me the truth than come to work because I'm just going to send you home)
* anything involving an injury that you could injure worse at work, therefore making the company liable for your further injury (i.e. twisted ankle becomes sprained ankle)

If the doctor says my staff member is OK to come back to work, they can come back. Otherwise, I expect they'll stay off work until they're fully recovered. Coming to work while you're still sick is only going to make you sicker!

[LeeBrat]

i think it totaly depends on the situation. if your really sick, coughing, flu, really bad cold, then yeah cal in sick. i dont really want to be around a sick staff member for a full shift.

however, if its a minor head cold or something that isnt really contagious at least try to work, if your feeling shitty you can always go home early.
(or, if your a girl and your pmsing, at one of my jobs we have a young lady that always call in sick due to cramps) suck it up princess!

[miss.myra]

If you're sick you're sick..and you know your own body well enough to know when you're too sick to function and go to work.

Sick days off of work are pretty much the best because you can basically justify being in the 'no pants until 4pm' club. damnit i haven't been sick since october :(

[galaxie]

^ I'm really sick and contagious for another few hours. HURRY!

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

Whats your take on it?

People dont like it when sick ppl show up to work, mainly due to the fact that it increases the chances of other ppl getting sick.

However many of those sick ppl that show up to work need the money and cant afford to take time off. Not to forget that many employers get frustrated when ppl call in sick and want you back at the job asap.

I guess an other question to ask is... what constitutes as being sick?

unless youre gonna die you should at work, that my personal motto and if your part of the team i expect the same.

[NinjaBoy]

My office is terrible for viruses. Tons of people spend whole shifts together in soundproof rooms with almost no circulation. And nobody calls in sick unless it's life or death.

The last virus that went through knocked half the office on their asses.

[galaxie]

Originally Posted by SEAN!

unless youre gonna die you should at work, that my personal motto and if your part of the team i expect the same.

So you can get everyone else sick and kill their productivity, too?

[veN]

I really like the Benylin commercial that features the obviously ill woman blowing papers around every time she sneezes, then she goes home and takes a "Benylin day" and actually rests. People don't realize that when they take cold medicine and it temporarily relieves their symptoms that they are still actually sick! And therefore, should not be overworking their tired bodies, and should also not be sharing their germs with everyone else by "working through it".

[prozac]

I have to be with Galaxie on this one, and I HATE that none of my bosses have ever seemed to be.

I was once made to feel like a piece of shit for insisting on taking a sick day (I have 10 a year from my company) when I had strep throat and my doctor told me to stay at home so as not to spread it.

My coworkers do not need to catch my sickness. Neither do my clients.

Common-freaking-sense = stay home when you are contagious.

It is my full and firm belief that sick people should not come to work. Problem is, short-sighted managers have a tendency to not see beyond a tight day staff-wise, and give off vibes that make people feel like shit for not coming in.

I would rather shoulder a bit of extra work for a day or two than catch a nasty cold/flu or risk the rest of my office getting it and making the week harder.

On that note, any workplace should be properly staffed so that sick days are not an issue. Too bad that rarely happens.

[mapleleaf4ever]

I think I've actually been sick enough to miss work once in five years or so.

That's when I had Strep in early February.

Other than that... I'd rather sickos didn't come to work, or if they do, nowhere near me in the off-chance I do catch something.

[Prissypants]

I'd rather sick people stay home... Especially since I work in an office setting. The last time someone was really sick at our office about 50% of the people got so sick they had to take time off work and of the remaining people left about 50% of those were so sick they could barely function... I work in an office of about 100 people... Now if only that one person had of stayed off we would have been around 74% more productive... Pulling yourself in when you're sick is fine if you work on your own or in a space where you're not working with many people but in office situations or when dealing heavily with the public you should keep your ass at home!!!

[Gusto]

ideally everyone could stay home if they're sick. but in the real world of limited sick days, skeptical bosses, busy schedules and tight deadlines, it's not always possible. luckily i can pull a "work from home" day whenever i'm sick. obviously if you're contagious it's a little bit different, but i still hear a lot of people sneezing around the office.

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by galaxie

So you can get everyone else sick and kill their productivity, too?

fuck em, theyll have to come into work too.

[Liqwid]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

what constitutes as being sick?

throwing up....

[SEAN!]

Originally Posted by Liqwid

throwing up....

yea, thats where i draw the line, if i puke i aint going to work.

[FeelGood]

As long as you don't look sick as fuck, aren't coughing/sneezing all over the place, can hold your head up and talk to others at work without slugging around the office complaining about how shitty you feel then I feel you're good enough to work.

Just make sure you wash your hands frequently (purel works wonders) and keep a safe distance (2-3ft) away from me, then it's all good to me.

I'd rather ppl not come to work when they're sick but that's not always possible therefore I double up on the vitamins and keep my fingers crossed I don't get sick

[stephen_c]

Originally Posted by R Wellbelove

Whats your take on it?

People dont like it when sick ppl show up to work, mainly due to the fact that it increases the chances of other ppl getting sick.

However many of those sick ppl that show up to work need the money and cant afford to take time off. Not to forget that many employers get frustrated when ppl call in sick and want you back at the job asap.

I guess an other question to ask is... what constitutes as being sick?

"what constitutes as being sick?"
if ur healthy enough to get to work
then ur not sick enough to be of concern to coworkers.
the average door handle, telephone, washroom faucet, etc
has as much germs as a sickly walkin employee.
managers who are concerned w/ the average flu in the work place
should encourage employee to practice hand washin.
hand to mouth is how that stuff spread.
u wouldn't bar a sick customer into ur store
nor should you send an employee home w/ the sniffles.

Before I had paid sick days, I only ever called in sick twice in my life. Once was a shift the day after I was in the hospital for food poising and the other I ended up puking at work. Reason being is money, I couldn't afford to lose a shift and pushed myself through the day. I see the same problem with really sick kids being sent to school when they're working parents should be taking them home to rest. But what can ppl do?

However even though I have a certain amount of paid sick days, ill still go to work when sick for things I must do and I really need to be there for.

But again going back to what constitutes as being sick... I find I dont get as sick as most ppl or Im just able to tough it out more.

[Mr Ektion]

If you're feeling sick enough and you're at the point of requestioning if you're okay or not, stay in bed. you'll get better a lot faster and your quality of life won't be in the rotter. A sick day at work does affect the office by infecting everyone else. But you won't have a good day at work. depending on what your job is, it might leave a trail of mistakes that you'll need to come back later to correct. It'll bite you in the ass and you'll wonder 'what the hell was i thinking!?'

I've always felt bad being sick on monday. it's like creating your own long long weekend.

[tiedye]

Like I've got a choice in the matter.

[JadoreJDM]

The only time I have ever taken a sick day at my job is the monday following the SummerBreaks 07 weekend...woke up, got outa bed and fell flat on my face due fainting. Yeah, I partied pretty hard and it took me 2 days to recover enough to be able to work. I'll never exert my body like that again, holy fuck! Probably lying tho...summer is approaching soon lol