Author Topic: what's your personal sick-call policy?  (Read 18421 times)

FuckRx

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what's your personal sick-call policy?
« on: February 16, 2015, 01:05:22 PM »

I started with some fevers/chills last night, bad sinus symptoms and slept like 10 hours. Today I was supposed to work and contemplated calling out sick. I mean I wasn't dying but if I stayed home I would have slept most of the day, maybe just gone out for a walk to break it up. Obviously there is no universal rule for calling out but who here feels like they sort of have it figured out. I ended up going to work and it's ok but blaaaaah. If I called out the person who is my backup would have had to come in, my schedulers would have had to scramble a bit and we'd be short staffed at my place of work.

renter4evah?

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2015, 01:10:04 PM »
I always go unless I'm really non-functional or I'm very symptomatic (sneezing a lot or diarrhea or something). My mom had an unbelievable work ethic (she worked in HR), and she would go to work even if she was sick just so everyone could see that she was actually ill. Then she'd go home sick. (Once she called me to pick her up from work and take her to the hospital!) She always used to say that it's better to go home sick than to stay home sick. I don't know if I really agree with that--I don't like coworkers to come to work sick and spread their illness around, but it does make me look closely at my own situation whenever I think about staying home.

Eric

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2015, 01:11:56 PM »
My current company doesn't offer sick days as a benefit.  If I call in sick, I lose a vacation day.  Therefore, unless I'm dying I go into work and gut it out.  If I get everyone else sick, well too bad.  If my company wanted me to stay home when I was sick, then they would've built some sick days into their benefit package.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2015, 01:28:25 PM »
I consider it immoral to negligently spread illness. You don't know who has a newborn at home, who might be HIV positive, or what. Obviously you sometimes have to do things, but just coming in to work? Difficult to justify.

ZiziPB

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2015, 01:30:23 PM »
Quote
I always go unless I'm really non-functional or I'm very symptomatic (sneezing a lot or diarrhea or something).

That's my approach as well.  My company gives me 4 extra PTO days (on top of 4 weeks of vacation) to use as sick days (can be used for vacation if not used for sick time off).  If one is sick for more than 5 days in a row, short term disability kicks in.

MayDay

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2015, 01:48:52 PM »
I think it depends in the workplace culture.  I've always worked places where if I missed a day, I could either work from home or pick it up the next day.  It is a jerk move to even come in sick and go home, spreading germs in the meantime.  But I realize other places don't offer sick time, or have to call in a replacement if someone is out sick.

So, it depends?

Timmmy

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2015, 01:59:34 PM »
I consider it immoral to negligently spread illness. You don't know who has a newborn at home, who might be HIV positive, or what. Obviously you sometimes have to do things, but just coming in to work? Difficult to justify.

Interesting to read this in light of all the current talk about vaccines.  This is essentially the same reason to vaccinate (because not everyone can be nor would they survive the illness).

My policy is.  "If I'm go to be miserable all day, might as well get paid to be miserable all day"

aschmidt2930

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2015, 02:00:02 PM »
My current company doesn't offer sick days as a benefit.  If I call in sick, I lose a vacation day.  Therefore, unless I'm dying I go into work and gut it out.  If I get everyone else sick, well too bad.  If my company wanted me to stay home when I was sick, then they would've built some sick days into their benefit package.

I agree with this.  It's a shame that some companies don't offer even a few sick days.

Personally, I'm a health nut (and lucky) and haven't been sick in nearly three years, which is the duration of my professional career. So I suppose I have no idea.  The threshold to skip class was pretty low though.   

mxt0133

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2015, 02:10:49 PM »
My current company doesn't offer sick days as a benefit.  If I call in sick, I lose a vacation day.  Therefore, unless I'm dying I go into work and gut it out.  If I get everyone else sick, well too bad.  If my company wanted me to stay home when I was sick, then they would've built some sick days into their benefit package.

Eric, ff I recall correctly you're in California and sick leave is a mandated law.  You might be getting shafted.

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/new-california-law-requires-paid-sick-leave

As for personal sick-call policy if i'm just going to make other people, coworkers, especially patients sick then I feel it's my obligation to stay home.  We can work from home but if i'm not being productive and just mostly sleeping then i'll take the sick day.

boarder42

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2015, 02:11:31 PM »
i dont get sick days.  on days where my boss says i need to go home i take my laptop home with me and work from there.  I'm not giving up a PTO day b/c i have a cold or the flu.  screw that.

boarder42

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2015, 02:16:10 PM »
so that new california law requires that employees be given a minimum of 69.6 hours of Sick leave per year.  which is less than most employers PTO which if they have that then it covers the law already.

mm1970

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2015, 02:21:50 PM »
My policy: if you are sick, stay home.

I hate it when people come to work sick.

Of course, I'm at work right now, and I have a bit of a cold.  That's a grey area.  If I'd had a fever, or if I'd had a runny nose like yesterday, I would have stayed home.  It's not fair to spread your germs around. 

Luckily for me I seem to get sick on weekends, so that by Monday, I'm on the mend.

LibraryGirl

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2015, 02:31:44 PM »
If I am sick, I stay home, especially if there is a fever involved. I have no interest in bringing my illness to work and spreading it to all my coworkers (many of whom have young children) and I have no interest in trying to do the physically demanding parts of my job when I feel like crap.  I also work with the public and feel obligated not to spread my illness all over the place.  I don't want everyone else's germs, either.

Plus, I feel like it's better for me.  If I just take a day off and rest when I start to get sick, most of the time I feel better very quickly.  If I keep pushing myself, I almost always end up sick for longer.

That said, I work for local government and we have plenty of sick leave (which rolls over up to an absurd amount) and there's always people to cover, even if they sometimes have to ask for help from other departments.  Most of the time, the people who show up to work sick are the ones who call in when they aren't sick just to take the day off.  Then the rest of us have to risk getting sick because they couldn't be bothered to leave a little bit of banked sick time there.  It really aggravates me because there's no need for it.

mrsggrowsveg

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2015, 02:38:29 PM »
I get a fair amount of sick days, but don't often use them.  If I am actually unable to do my job I go home.  I don't work around too many people so it is easy to isolate myself while sick.  I have a toddler who cannot go to daycare with certain symptoms.  Most of my sick leave goes toward staying home with him on those days.  We also can use sick leave for doctor's appointments.

Eric

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2015, 02:46:11 PM »
My current company doesn't offer sick days as a benefit.  If I call in sick, I lose a vacation day.  Therefore, unless I'm dying I go into work and gut it out.  If I get everyone else sick, well too bad.  If my company wanted me to stay home when I was sick, then they would've built some sick days into their benefit package.

I agree with this.  It's a shame that some companies don't offer even a few sick days.

Personally, I'm a health nut (and lucky) and haven't been sick in nearly three years, which is the duration of my professional career. So I suppose I have no idea.  The threshold to skip class was pretty low though.

Yeah, I should note that I'm pretty much never sick either.  I think the lack of children has something to do with this.  Little germ factories those things...


Thanks for the link mxt0133.  I am in California, and I'll give it a good read.  Maybe I have some sick time benefit coming my way soon.

MsPeacock

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #15 on: February 16, 2015, 03:00:01 PM »
Depends on severity. I have a pretty generous sick leave allowance, but I also have two kids - so I have to cover 3 people w/ my sick days. I stay home if I am miserable and exhausted, vomit, coughing, or stomach issues and those symptoms cannot be adequately easily managed w/ medication (e.g. motrin and a decongestant). I hate it when people come to work w/ the flu - it's rude to inflict a bad illness on your coworkers. Thankfully, since there is a good sick leave allowance most of my coworkers tend to stay home if they are ill.

I'm a red panda

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2015, 08:59:00 AM »
When I had unlimited sick time, I needed to be darn near dying to call in.  I did not want to abuse it. When the company changed it to 10 days with no carry-over, I'd call in if I felt icky at all, sometimes saying I'd come in later in the day if I felt better (which I often did).

Current company has a 10 day policy, but roll-over into short term disability bank, so I don't take a day unless I really need it.  It may be good to have them later on.    My current employer is good about work at home though, so I might just call in that I'm working at home and stretch the 8 hour day to a 12 hour one and do work/nap throughout the day

AlwaysBeenASaver

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2015, 09:06:54 AM »
If I'm only mildly sick but no fever, I go in. If I have a fever, I stay home. If I'm staying home but not too sick, I work from home. My company doesn't encourage working from home, but it can be done very occasionally especially when sick. If I'm so sick I just want to sleep, I use a sick day, which are limited where I work.

samburger

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2015, 09:11:57 AM »
I get around 30 days off every year, and I lose them at the end of the year if I don't use them. I also work from home about 50% of the time, so if I'm symptomatic and feel functional, I'll work from home. If I feel like I need to lay in bed like a lump, I call in.

cynthia1848

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #19 on: February 17, 2015, 09:26:52 AM »
I definitely stay home if I'm sick.  I don't want to be hacking all over everyone else.

Usually work from home so I am still billing hours.

MicroRN

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #20 on: February 17, 2015, 10:06:56 AM »
Fever, vomiting, frequent cough/bad congestion, or any time I feel bad enough that I know I'll be sicker at the end of 12 hours.  I work on an oncology unit and at least half my patients on any given day will be neutropenic.  If you come in sick you'll get sent home anyway, and then the floor has to scramble to cover for you.  I call in as soon as possible so the resource office has time to cover it.  We don't get dinged for calling in consecutive days because they want you to stay home until recovered.   

Back when I was the sole tech in a research lab, I dragged myself in no matter what, even if it was just for a few hours because there were always cells or plants that would die without attention.  Ditto when I was teaching.  I once went in to teach with pneumonia, then went to the ER right afterward because I couldn't breathe.  Sometimes it's really nice being an interchangeable employee!

mskyle

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #21 on: February 17, 2015, 10:12:21 AM »
I'm pretty sure we have unlimited sick time at my current place of work, and working from home is allowed as well. I've only taken one day in the past year, when I just felt like I couldn't get out of bed. When I used to have sick days and early-morning responsibilities (I was the only person in at 7AM), I would usually let my commute (a half-hour walk) be my guide - if I preferred calling my coworkers for backup at 6AM to a half-hour walk, I was sick enough to stay home.

FoundPeace

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #22 on: February 17, 2015, 10:30:42 AM »
From my employee handbook
Sick time hours are not specifically allocated for exempt employees. However, exempt employees are required to keep their Manager apprised of any circumstances that may prevent their timely attendance at work or their ability to be successful in their job. Failure to do so or excessive unprotected absences will be subject to discipline at Management’s sole discretion, up to and including termination.

My coworkers tell me that this means we get as much sick time as we need and all I have to do is tell my manager.

I don't go to work if my symptoms are bad, or if I have some minor symptoms and I don't want to go to work. This only happened about 3 times last year.

CommonCents

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #23 on: February 17, 2015, 10:31:37 AM »
Fever, vomiting, frequent cough/bad congestion, or any time I feel bad enough that I know I'll be sicker at the end of 12 hours. 

If I'm only mildly sick but no fever, I go in. If I have a fever, I stay home.

About this.  I try to go in when I know I can work.  If I can't concentrate, think I'm going to make myself sicker, or think I'm going to get my coworkers sick, I stay home.  Often I find that my husband and I need each other to "validate" our decision to stay home though - that it's ok, we're really sick, and we're not shirking.  (As in the sick one says "I think I can go do some work" and the other says, "really?  You don't seem able to get out of bed.")  If need be/I'm feeling up to it, I can do some work remotely.

I have 3 weeks each year which carries over.  (If I get pregnant, I can use the time, or if I work 17 years and retire I'd get 20% of the days.)  In 3 years, I think I've taken 5 days?  One was a mental sick day though.

cbgg

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #24 on: February 17, 2015, 11:15:28 AM »
Personally, I'll call in sick if I'm sick and I don't have anything of critical importance to do that day.  I don't feel that i have to be dying or incapable of going into the office, but I feel ok about taking a sick day if I'm unwell and will benefit from the extra rest.  Honestly, your co-workers hate it when you come into work and spread your germs.

Even with my liberal personal policy, I only take 1-2 sick days per year most years.  The only time I've ever used all my sick days was a year when I had surgery that took me out for a week.

Ftao93

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2015, 11:23:18 AM »
I've used some for mental health days too, but generally if I feel I have symptoms I will spread I'll call in.   I have had years where I've used many, and then otehr years where I only use 1 or 2.

Since they are company sponsored, I do my best not to abuse them.

MrsPete

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #26 on: February 17, 2015, 02:35:07 PM »
I remember the first principal for whom I ever worked talking to a kid who was "sick" quite frequently.  He flat out said, "There's sick, and there's not feeling well.  If you have a headache or a sniffly nose, take some medicine and come to school.  If you're throwing up, can't leave the toilet, or have a fever, stay home."  I've repeated his words to students over the years. 

As a teacher, it's tough to be out because writing sub plans is almost as much work as actually being in school -- and then you have to deal with the cleaning up whatever mess the sub left the next day.  Worse still, if I become sick late in the evening, I have to get up and drive my lesson plans to school before the first class begins at 7:00.  Why not email them in?  Because I almost always have to make xerox copies or locate items the sub will need.  You might ask, "Aren't you going to need them whether you're in school or not?"  No.  If I'm in school myself, I have SmartBoard lessons that I use, and I have my go-to lectures . . . but a sub doesn't have all the stuff that's in my head, so whipping out a worksheet is easier for everyone (and the students feel more responsibility to do some work if they're going to turn in a worksheet or a writing assignment).  So if I have to go in anyway, I'm probably just going to stay.

My personal line in the sand:  If I'm doing something that might disgrace me in public (throwing up or pooping myself), I'll stay home.  Kids NEVER forget things like that.  Otherwise, it's just easier to go in.  I can usually adjust my lesson plans so that the kids do some type of group work or watch a video at least part of the class. 
« Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 02:38:28 PM by MrsPete »

Retire-Canada

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #27 on: February 17, 2015, 02:55:29 PM »
If I have a fever, I'm puking or pooping excessively I stay home.

If I can't think straight due to what's wrong with me I stay home.

If I have something that's catchy and more serious than the common cold I stay home.

I often go a whole year with no sick days. 2014 I didn't miss any work. I get paid either way, but I feel an obligation to show up on time for work I am being paid for.

In Jan we had an employee come in with the flu. He wasn't vital to our operations, but he took down several vital people who missed 1-3 weeks each. That one guy coming in cost the company $30K in lost productivity. If we had a do over we'd pay him triple-time to stay home.

-- Vik

happy

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #28 on: February 17, 2015, 02:58:55 PM »
For my 3 decade long working life I've always gone in unless I was too sick to get out of bed. Sick leave was used if my kids were sick, but not for me.  Now just under 4 years to retirement, and pretty fatigued and with a healthy sick leave balance I've loosened up on that a bit. Old habits die hard, though,  and I still go in when others would stay at home. My sick leave will not get paid out when I go, so I will "lose" it, although if  my elderly folks need me to care for them in the next few years ( which is possible)  I can use the leave for that.  "Loosening up" means that if I have say a viral URTI and am febrile and aching and coughing and sneezing virus everywhere, I will stay home for a day, rather than taking cold and flu tabs and sucking it up. I've found I seem to get better faster if I do this which benefits everyone including my work colleagues/employer.

Vikb just posted whilst I was typing: yes I now follow his guidelines pretty much

GetItRight

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #29 on: February 17, 2015, 03:36:09 PM »
I say never waste a day off being sick. I suppose based on past experiences the threshold would be hospitalized during office hours, but not for a cold, severe flue, etc. Glued to toilet I can understand too. My employer has separate pools of paid time off. One is called personal time and intended for sickness or emergencies, the other is vacation. Personal time does not carry into the following year, vacation does. Most treat both pools as vacation and the company doesn't care, they just want two pools so if they fire you they don't have to pay out as much.

I wonder if those who have complained in this thread about no sick time at work actually have a larger than typical vacation/PTO to account for that.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #30 on: February 17, 2015, 04:01:30 PM »
I'd rather take one or two days off to rest and recover than be struggling at work for a week. Hence I'll take the days if I need them (and get a medical certificate).

I get three weeks of sick leave a year, which accumulates. I might take a week of it throughout the year.

Nudelkopf

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2015, 05:13:37 PM »
I called in sick today at work, so timely post! (Mental health)

I'm a teacher, so I went into school at 6am to photocopy the stuff for today (since I didn't manage to finish it yesterday afternoon). It was poop. But it was only a 9km return on my bike, so not too bad. It was quite nice riding to work in the pre-dawn light... I love smelling other people showering! (That sounds weird... but showers/shower products have a VERY strong smell).

I get 10 sick days a year, and they accumulate over the years. I think I'm also allowed to take half days. And pregnant women get a couple of extra sick days during their pregnancy, for pre-natal visits.

NV Teacher

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #32 on: February 17, 2015, 05:53:18 PM »
If I'm just a bit under the weather I go to work.  If I'm sick I stay home.  I think I've taken about 12 days in the last 10 years.  I went three years in a row with no sick days.  We earn 15 days a year and we can save them.  I have 163 days saved.  My goal is 180 so that if I ever get really sick I have enough days to cover an entire school year.  Any days left at retire will earn me a small stipend.

darkadams00

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #33 on: February 17, 2015, 06:18:40 PM »
My company has unlimited sick leave. Fever over 101, nausea and/or actual vomiting, or diarrhea--I'm staying home at least. If functional, I'll work from home. If not, I let folks know I'm down for the day. With that said, I've missed three days in six years so I've used fewer days than probably everyone in my dept.

And coworkers still swear I'll catch my death of cold or pneumonia riding that darn bike to work and all over town during the winter months. If I counted person-trip-days, I wonder if I've biked enough yet to show biking as a statistically significant positive factor towards predicting healthy work days. Probably not, but my sample size of one seems to be doing well thus far.

Goldielocks

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #34 on: February 17, 2015, 06:25:32 PM »
Previously, as a manager in a manufacturing environment, where many line staff took "3 day" weekends, due to hangovers / late night returning from weekends, I asked my supervisors to always come in on Monday morning if they were sick (but could still drive).  They could come in a bit late, stay and hour, "show" that they were ill, (but stay away from meetings / people) and then go home, (for the rest of the week, if needed).   I would also pay them for the day they showed up for the hour.

Normally I agree that we stay home if sick, but I needed to change the culture of so many people call in on Mondays.

Now, my criteria are -- get out of bed, get dressed, move around, drink coffee. If I feel that I should lie down all day, and / or not drive, then I call in sick.  If I think I can watch Netflix all day or even run a quick errand, then I work form home or go in.

FIreDrill

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #35 on: February 17, 2015, 06:32:52 PM »
The team I am apart of is able to work from home so if any of us get a little sick we usually just do that.  My thinking is that I don't want whatever I have to spread around.  There have been several times where I have taken days totally off an not worked from home but when that happens it is usually pretty bad.

pachnik

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #36 on: February 17, 2015, 07:04:35 PM »
I don't have sick days at my current job so if I am not there, I don't get paid.  This isn't really a problem - thank you FU money!

Before I call in sick, I think to myself, if I stay home what will I do with this day?  If the answer is go to the drugstore to get some medication and then lie on the couch, then I stay home.  If the answer is, get caught up on housework, then I go to work.  Also, I ask myself whether I can handle transit with whatever I have got.  If I can't go on transit - tummy problems etc., then I stay home. 
« Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 07:19:01 PM by pachnik »

kpd905

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #37 on: February 17, 2015, 07:12:47 PM »
My current company doesn't offer sick days as a benefit.  If I call in sick, I lose a vacation day.  Therefore, unless I'm dying I go into work and gut it out.  If I get everyone else sick, well too bad.  If my company wanted me to stay home when I was sick, then they would've built some sick days into their benefit package.

This is going to be how I do it as well, for the same reason.

cjottawa

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #38 on: February 17, 2015, 07:13:54 PM »
NEVER, EVER call in sick on a Monday or Friday. Go in, throw up on someone's shoes and be sent home sick, but you never want to be "that guy" who people roll their eyes about "giving themselves a long weekend."

If you really are sick on a Monday, you better call in sick on Tuesday (maybe Wednesday too) and when you do show up again, better look like death. (red eyes, nose, sneezing)
« Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 07:23:51 PM by cjottawa »

clarkfan1979

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #39 on: February 17, 2015, 07:27:46 PM »
One of my friends is a restaurant manager and he is not able to call in sick when he wants to. His sits in the back trying to avoid people, but he always comes into contact with some and makes them sick.

I haven't called in sick for the last 10 years of my professional working career. I think I called in sick a few times when I was a server.

My wife is a retail manager and she has not called in sick since I have know her (last 5 years).

We don't really get sick. I would like to attribute that to balance in our lives.

willow

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #40 on: February 17, 2015, 07:47:50 PM »

I started with some fevers/chills last night, bad sinus symptoms and slept like 10 hours. Today I was supposed to work and contemplated calling out sick. I mean I wasn't dying but if I stayed home I would have slept most of the day, maybe just gone out for a walk to break it up. Obviously there is no universal rule for calling out but who here feels like they sort of have it figured out. I ended up going to work and it's ok but blaaaaah. If I called out the person who is my backup would have had to come in, my schedulers would have had to scramble a bit and we'd be short staffed at my place of work.

I think the answer depends on what kind of work you do.

I have a cushy desk jockey job that I could do from home. So more often then not if I'm sick there is no reason to show up at the office and spread it around. If anything, I would consider that a lack of consideration on the part of the sick person.

However, I can see how in some positions you just can't stay out. I think in an ideal world, if you're sick, you stay home, period. Some bosses have unreasonable expectations of their human employees.

As an example, my spouse was sick once and decided to go to work. Two days later it took a turn for the worse and they were out of it. Had to go to ER and get some meds, then they were out for two days straight.  If they had just stayed out the one day, went to the doctor and gotten some sleep, would have been better for everybody.

willow

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #41 on: February 17, 2015, 07:52:46 PM »
NEVER, EVER call in sick on a Monday or Friday. Go in, throw up on someone's shoes and be sent home sick, but you never want to be "that guy" who people roll their eyes about "giving themselves a long weekend."

If you really are sick on a Monday, you better call in sick on Tuesday (maybe Wednesday too) and when you do show up again, better look like death. (red eyes, nose, sneezing)

Screw those guys. If I'm sick I'm staying home, could care less what their lazy behinds think of my work ethic. I get paid to produce, not to show up. People focus on all the wrong things.

*as a disclaimer this is not a personal attack on you. I know people who do and say what you're talking about when people call in sick and I hate that trash. People need to mind their own business, you don't know what is going on in that person's life.

samburger

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #42 on: February 17, 2015, 08:34:24 PM »
Screw those guys. If I'm sick I'm staying home, could care less what their lazy behinds think of my work ethic. I get paid to produce, not to show up. People focus on all the wrong things.

Here here! I work in a results-only workplace, meaning we're judged by our production, not by how often we haul our asses into the office. I got nothin' to gain by showing up sick and then going home. It's the best office culture.

goodlife

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #43 on: February 17, 2015, 08:51:18 PM »
Personally, I don't really care, if I feel ill, I stay home. I have a personal threshold for that, it's hard to put my finger on it, but I know it when I feel it. I don't care if it's a Friday or Monday or whatever and I don't care how many days in total. If I had some kind of limited sick day policy, then I guess I would use it more wisely, but that's not the case where I work, so I call in sick whenever I feel too ill to go in which is a very personal threshold for everyone I suppose. I also don't need to bring a doctor's note unless I am sick for more than 3 consecutive days. I really don't give a shit about what other people think. It's not like I am out sick a lot, so if it happens to be a Monday or Friday, so be it.

Wildflame

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #44 on: February 18, 2015, 02:26:05 AM »
I work contract - paid by the hour. If I don't work, I don't get paid. That said, who needs money? If I feel ill enough that going to work makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry, I'll call in. Thankfully, I've only had to do that once in the last five months or so.

pancakes

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #45 on: February 18, 2015, 04:19:31 AM »
I stay home if I'm sick because I work closely with other people and I don't want to make others unwell. I loath when other people come into work sick and risk making me unwell.

We have great paid sick leave entitlements but a pretty awful policy where our share of the bonus scheme is reduced for every sick day we have taken. I think I lost about $40 for each day I had taken last financial year which isn't a lot but does make you rethink calling in sick when for the health of others you should probably stay at home.

nikki

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #46 on: February 18, 2015, 04:28:34 AM »
I'm a university instructor in Korea, and if I called in sick I would have to arrange a replacement for my classes (from our department, of course) and pay them myself.

But in Korea, it's REALLY rare for someone to actually use a sick day. When I taught at a public middle school, other teachers would come in to work just to sleep at their desk. Other people covered their classes, but they were physically at work, and that's the important thing. Totally different culture.

So ya... I guess I respect that culture and go in if I can. I taught about a week with pretty serious bronchitis. That was fun.

startingsmall

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #47 on: February 18, 2015, 07:06:22 AM »
I'm a veterinarian and typically work with only one other doctor at a time.  If I call in sick, that means either an entire day of appointments that needs to be rescheduled (which pretty much no clinic will ever do, because veterinary medicine is a very customer-service oriented field with clients who will jump ship at the slightest provocation) or that my other doctor will be double-booked and scrambling all day long.  I have to be REALLY sick to call in - very serious contagious illness or continual vomiting/diarrhea.   In the last 9 years, I've called in sick twice (one day with the flu and a super-high fever, and once with a bad case of bronchitis with fever during pregnancy - first-time mom paranoia) and was sent home early once (due to sudden onset of a stomach virus).   

Current job offers only 8 days of PTO (I work 4 days/wk).  It's possible that a sick day might just be 'forgiven,' but I have a feeling that it would be deducted from those days.  (My boss decided to close on NY Eve this year but then deducted me a PTO day because it's "not listed as a paid holiday in our manual."  So I suspect I would also be deducted for a sick day.)  I haven't called in sick since starting this job 2 years ago, so I don't know.  I always feel awful for coming in and spreading germs to my coworkers and clients and try to wash my hands every 30 seconds and disinfect everything around me as much as possible.... but I just don't think it would be received well if I were to call in because vets are the type who work through EVERYTHING and pride themselves in their insane (ridiculous) workaholism.   

BlueMR2

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #48 on: February 18, 2015, 09:59:38 AM »
Currently, if I feel at all ill, I just work from home.  I'm very fortunate to have that option, it's not something I had in the past.  Historically, staying home sick meant using a vacation day, so I would go to work if I could make it there (only didn't a couple times and that's because I couldn't make the 20 minute expressway portion of the drive without stopping to puke).

My wife now has to go to work no matter what as the place she currently works (part time, near minimum wage) has one of those points systems.  Miss a shift due to being sick twice and you're gone (and it took her nearly 2 years to get even that job).  I guess if she was puking too much to make the drive, I'd hand her a bag and drive her to work myself so she could keep her job...

CommonCents

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Re: what's your personal sick-call policy?
« Reply #49 on: February 18, 2015, 01:33:16 PM »
NEVER, EVER call in sick on a Monday or Friday. Go in, throw up on someone's shoes and be sent home sick, but you never want to be "that guy" who people roll their eyes about "giving themselves a long weekend."

If you really are sick on a Monday, you better call in sick on Tuesday (maybe Wednesday too) and when you do show up again, better look like death. (red eyes, nose, sneezing)

Screw those guys. If I'm sick I'm staying home, could care less what their lazy behinds think of my work ethic. I get paid to produce, not to show up. People focus on all the wrong things.

*as a disclaimer this is not a personal attack on you. I know people who do and say what you're talking about when people call in sick and I hate that trash. People need to mind their own business, you don't know what is going on in that person's life.

I think it depends on how often it happens.

My first job, I never realized one person always called in sick on pretty much every other Friday in the summer until someone made a snide comment about it to me when she did it again.  We wrote the days people were out on a little whiteboard, so you could see about ~2 months at one time.  That's the first time I was aware people did that - and I started noticing her tans those weekends and aware that if you went to the beach on Sat or Sun and got a tan/burn, and legitly were sick on Monday - you might want to go in anyways).

Generally, I figure if you aren't always calling in on M/F, then it's ok.  Statistically, you'd be sick then about 40% of the time.

My real issue is with people that don't stay home and infect others.  If you have an office, hide away and don't open any doors or attend any meetings.  If you have a cube environment, rethink your decision to come in.