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QOTD #90: Do you go to work when you are sick?

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by genuinemommy, Sep 29, 2016.

  1. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    Do you go to work when you are sick?
    Where do you draw the line?

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I ask this because I'm really struggling to understand my husband's perspective.
    He has a horrible cold. He is barely functioning. I fear for his safety on his commute into work each morning. Everyone he interacted with at work told him that he looks horrible and should take off early. Because he is moving slower with the illness, he is working later in the evenings to get things done. He comes home, takes nyquil to sleep, wakes up, and does it again the next day. This has been going on for about two weeks. He isn't getting better, we're both pretty sure that he now has walking pneumonia. But he continues to work, and plans to unless he gets a clearly-worded direct mandate from a higher-up (or is hospitalized). He has plenty of sick leave stockpiled. He would not lose his job over taking a day off.
     
    genuinemommy, Sep 29, 2016
    #1
  2. ZombieSquirrel

    ZombieSquirrel Brrrrrrrains

    Location:
    Oregon by way of "Oh-hi-ya"
    Depends on the "level" of sick.

    I am not 100% at the moment, but I can focus and function. Coughing, sneezing, and a runny nose. Nothing compared to what your husband has. Also, I am the only one in my office this week. I will not be passing this along to anyone anytime soon and I am not going to miss a week where I will have minimal interruptions.

    Usually I am not a fan of people coming to work when sick. I don't want them infecting the whole office. If I can not function easily, I take the day off to rest and recuperate. One day out to be able to bring my A game at work is much better than being at work and not really producing anything.
     
    ZombieSquirrel, Sep 29, 2016
    #2
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  3. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    Shit, I don't go to work when I'm well. Why would I do it when I'm sick?

    I am a firm believer in rest days. I don't even have the usual concern of spreading contagions since I'm remote, and I still take a day off if I don't feel 100%. My team does not need my dopey ass fucking things up because I'm not alert and focused. Nothing I do is so urgent that it can't be put off for a day or two while I get myself sorted.

    A solid work ethic is commendable but when it starts to impact your health it's too much of a good thing. Took me an embarrassing number of years to figure that out if I'm honest.

    Interesting that the three participants in this discussion so far all have chronic illnesses.
     
    martian, Sep 29, 2016
    #3
    • Like Like x 2
  4. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    It certainly shaped my perception of work, and how I deal with illness. If I know I'll spend a week recovering from a couple of hours of over-exhertion, I'm more likely to delegate that task.
     
    genuinemommy, Sep 29, 2016
    #4
  5. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Under certain circumstances, if my symptoms are above the neck (sore throat, nasal congestion, etc.), then I'd exercise. By "certain circumstances," I mean if I were exercising alone, such as at the gym, lifting weights or whatever. Almost all of my exercise is now done with a partner or various partners, and I don't want to expose them to my sickness.

    Regardless, if my symptoms are below the neck (cough, body aches, fever, fatigue), I know it's time to take a break and rest until I'm better.

    As for work: I work at home alone, so I tend to work despite what I have. I do make some exceptions for when I feel particularly bad. For example, if I can't concentrate, I'll probably rest instead of push it, though I sometimes don't have that choice. Such is the life of a freelancer.
     
    Baraka_Guru, Sep 29, 2016
    #5
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  6. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    In my profession, "sick day" means work from home and mute the phone if you are going to do anything disgusting.

    Nobody would care if I took a day off; but the work would pile up and I'd have to do it all sooner or later.
     
    Stan, Sep 29, 2016
    #6
    • Like Like x 1
  7. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    I don't get sick very often, which is kind of surprising. I have 200 hours of sick time saved up.

    The problem I have is more of a mental health burnt out thing, coupled with a distracting workplace, and needing help from other people who are out sick themselves, or are taking care of kids or elderly parents.

    I don't have a problem with people taking off when they are sick, I have a bigger issue that a lot of workplaces are making people sick. I will be glad to get away from my co-workers this winter who have kids in different schools and the grandparents who catch whatever their grandkids have.
     
    ASU2003, Sep 29, 2016
    #7
    • Like Like x 1
  8. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I stay home when sick. I have sick time, and I come into contact with about 100 people daily that I wouldn't want to get sick.
     
    snowy, Sep 29, 2016
    #8
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  9. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    I cannot work remote.
    I have only so many PTO a year, which accumulates slowly. (including forced PTO on snow days...and my company cheaply combines vacation and sick days)
    I'm the only one that can do certain things. (politics, does not wait)

    It depends, sometimes I'm forced to go even though I'd rather not.
    Quite frankly, personal days are more important than being physically sick.
    Depends on my energy level really.

    To be honest, they're paying me for my brain not my body...so if I cannot think, even in "cruise mode" level, I stay home.
    Sniffles, sneezes and coughs I can get through.

    Would I'd rather stay home?? Sure.
    But then I'd never have any vacation.
    Welcome to America...and IT.
     
    rogue49, Sep 29, 2016
    #9
    • Like Like x 1
  10. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    FYI - Obama just signed a Paid Sick Leave rule for federal contractors - LINK

    Shows you why I noted IT...the mindset of overwork is established in the industry, if not others.
    Humans are not machines.
     
    rogue49, Sep 30, 2016
    #10
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  11. ralphie250

    ralphie250 Fully Erect

    Location:
    At work..
    short answer-- Yes I do

    I do because I just do. I don't get sick days, therefore if I don't go then I don't get paid and im not one for using vacation days for being sick. Although if I have the flu or something like that then, yes I do stay home but that's normally after it gets really bad. Im just stubborn. go figure
     
    ralphie250, Oct 1, 2016
    #11
    • Like Like x 1
  12. Fangirl

    Fangirl Very Tilted

    Location:
    Arizona
    This is tempting fate, I know, but I can't recall the last time I was physically sick. I'm more likely to need a 'stressed out' day off. If I do, I take myself out of whatever equation I would have been a part of that day. I'm self-employed so no boss but me to answer to. I don't believe in toughing it out when really sick. Add me the list of chronically ill who truly value the health I have.
     
    Fangirl, Oct 2, 2016
    #12
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    My clients come to the office when they are sick. If I've had a fever within 24 hours, I usually let the client choose if they want to come in. When I worked for hospice, it was interesting. They wanted you to work all the damn time, but contact with someone who is already sick when you are coughing up a lung is rude and can be life-threatening. I'm in a new city with new germs so I'm accepting that I'm going to have frequent colds. I'll kick them. Every time I have changed jobs or locations, I spend months building my immune system back up. So then I go to work, with the mild stuff. Anything else, I usually do not.
     
    Japchae, Oct 2, 2016
    #13
    • Like Like x 1
  14. redravin

    redravin Cynical Optimist Donor

    Location:
    North
    I did when I worked retail, when I got paid by the hour and missing a day meant not getting paid and not getting a bill paid.
    Not so much when I was a chef and worked with peoples food but often for the same reason.
    When you are living paycheck to paycheck it is hard to justify staying home to get better unless you are incapable of functioning.

    When I'm on salary, absolutely I stay home.
    No reason to get the people I work with sick or the clients (some of whom have lowered immune systems as it is) sick as well.
     
    redravin, Oct 2, 2016
    #14
    • Like Like x 1
  15. spindles

    spindles Very Tilted

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    I work full time from home. I don't need to worry about contagion. It does make it easy to do a little bit of work (i.e. check if there is anything urgent) and go back to bed if required. Workplace relations in Oz is such that everybody gets a decent amount of sick leave, so why not use it if needed?
     
    spindles, Oct 4, 2016
    #15
    • Like Like x 1
  16. POPEYE

    POPEYE Very Tilted

    Location:
    Tulsa
    I went to work sick today, just the creeping crud. Got all the parts out that my supervisor asked for and got outa there 2 hrs early. Tylenol pm tonight and day quill tomorrow. Back to work, they could do it with out me, I just have this drive gear that's always engaged from morning to about 6 pm
     
    POPEYE, Oct 5, 2016
    #16
    • Like Like x 2
  17. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska
    I work average about two days each week for a local collection agency. Pay is minimum wage plus a commission on money actually received. We are told not to come to work if we will not sound good on the phone, so I don't.

    I do my investing work out of my home office. It mostly involves researching and analysis, a little bit of consulting, and on rare occasions, selling or buying stocks. Most of the time it looks like I'm not really doing anything. If I have a bad head cold my mental processes feel like I'm processing molasses in January. I never sell, buy, or offer advice if I'm sick because I might miss some risk or say something stupid. I can catch up on housework or filing without risking too much damage.
     
    Lindy, Oct 5, 2016
    #17
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