Sick Days
 

Hey there! I've been feeling under the weather lately, enough that I took the day off work yesterday. That got me thinking about how other people might view sick days, since I've learned from experience that opinions vary. :lol:

For example, I don't raise a fuss when sometimes my work takes a vacation day from me rather than the sick leave I'm entitled to (since that's what most Japanese employees do). Meanwhile, most of my Western friends would fight if their employer did that to them.

A few questions to consider: (Please use quote tags if you copy them directly.)

I usually feel guilty for skipping work/school, unless I feel ridiculously sick. Do you ever feel that way?

Do you ever fake being sick to take a day off?

What's the longest stretch of time you've ever had to take off work/school for an illness?

I'm not doing that bad, but thank you! :hug: I've made a huge improvement since Saturday, when I suddenly became very, very sick. It's just too bad that I had to miss the Halloween parties I was planning to attend.

I don't get sick days at my work. If I call out, oh well, no money for me :( So unless I'm dying and going to the hospital - I generally suck it up and just go in. If they force me to go home after I get there...that's their problem. I was the same way with school growing up as well....my mother would have to FORCE me to stay home...even when I was so sick I couldn't concentrate on anything I would insist of going to school because I didn't want to get behind lmao XD

@Maria: Wow! XD You sound much more hard-core than I am. I also tried to avoid taking sick days as much as possible and would force myself to go even when most people would probably stay home, but there were other times when I felt like rest was best. I'd usually base my decision on what was going on that day. If I knew there wasn't anything terribly important due in class or a critical topic being discussed, then I'd be more likely to allow myself to stay home.

I'm always sick. I have lupus and lymphoma so I tend to get sick a lot. Most the time I just ignore it and go to work anyway even if I feel horrible. If I can move, I'm going to work even if I feel like crap. I do not get paid sick days off of work and can't afford to miss work so if I can go, I go.

The longest time I missed work was for two months. I was in the hospital due to "a virus". I couldn't walk because my muscles were so weak from it I also had vertigo and got dizzy constantly along with not being able to eat or drink much. I pretty much just curled up in a ball and slept for two months. It was horrible. They never found out what virus it was.

I do not feel guilty for missing work since when I miss it I really am sick to the point where I couldn't work even if I wanted to.

I never call in sick unless I'm actually ill and even then I don't unless I really don't feel I can make it. I've only ever called in twice if I recall correctly and both times it was because my pets were extremely ill and I had to take them to the vet.

The longest I was ever off of school was a week when I got mono but it turned out to be our spring break week or something anyway so I really only missed like two days. ^^;

Ive been with cold for about 3 weeks now...though since my doctor got me to start taking Vitamin D supplements, its been going away. And not to mention Ive been walking alot more, getting more exercise...which somehow works. xD

I don't skip school. I feel bad about it...even if I feel like I'm about to die or something. I want a good grade. The more I attend, even if I don't do good, they might boost my grade for never missing.

And they are not taking my vacation days. In America, to get the days you want off, you might have to apply for them/schedule them at the beginning of the year. So taking a vacation day away from an employee may force them to have to cancel the plans they had, and, so...they no longer need or really want the vacation days they had planned. One day could ruin it all.

I feel pretty guilty calling out sick, so try not to skive off work often. I have been a bit bad about staying up way too late and feeling crummy enough to call in once or twice though.
The longest I have ever been off of work was a month pre and post surgery, but my work knew in advance.

I almost always feel guilty about having a sick day. Unless I'm stuck in bed feeling deathly ill, staying home instead of going out and getting things done just makes me feel awful.

I have in the past, but not so much anymore. I realize now that education/work is an important thing that I should put forth a lot of effort in to.

Probably about a week. I had strep throat really bad this one time and was stuck in bed for almost a week straight. It was basically the most miserable thing ever.

I feel guilty taking time off from work when I'm not "really" sick sometimes, but not all the time. Sometimes I feel like I'm entitled to a little rest after they work me so hard! But I don't usually take off unless I am at least sick somewhat, especially if I have a doctor appointment about it. I used to fake sick to get out of school, but never work because who would I have to fake to? XD

I think I would actually prefer if my employer docked me a vacation day instead of a sick day because where I work, a good number of our sick days "carry over" into the next fiscal year and we can get a payment on retirement for unused ones (up to a certain amount of money). That isn't so for vacation days, so I'd rather have a lot of sick days left carried over! Just in case I ever do get really sick in the years to come, or can otherwise store up the days.

I think everyone deserves a sick day, even a mental health day if they need one.
Bringing sickness into the office gets other workers sick which reduces productivity.
And emotionally taxed and falling apart workers also do not work very well because they are too stressed.
Plus, it makes the work force happier when they have time to 'take a break' when they really need one.
That said, I do know people who abuse 'sick days,' I know I did it in high school (that said, I really was sick every day I took off...but I probably could have/should have toughed through it.)

As for guilt? Fuck no I don't feel guilty for it. I have enough health problems and feel guilty enough about everything...Plus, being stressed (and guilt is my single most LEAST FAVORITE emotion) makes me get sick all over again. So no, I don't. And I don't feel bad for not feeling bad either. >:'C

The longest I took off from school? 2 weeks. My dad just died and I was a wreck. I probably didn't need a full 2 weeks, but it helped a lot, by the time I got back I a) wasn't assaulted with 'feel better' reminders that would have just made me cry or b) still crying all the time.
Then there was this other time in which I was hospitalized for 4 months, but that wasn't my choice, and I would have much preferred being in school.

I only take a sick day if I am like......dieing basically and can't possibly do my job because of how sick I am. My work doesn't function well without me.

well I am still in school so I don't have sick days.
BUUTTT
I have been sick 3 times in the last month. I hope you feel better D:
Anyways, I don't have a problem with sickdays if youare really sick to the point where you can barely move. I wouldn't want to see a co-worker weak and in pain. I would also hope that said co-worker wouldn't get me sick. By taking a day off you are giving your body a rest.. some time to recover. :)
You also don't have to worry about infecting anyone else haha.

I'll admit that I've faked sick and called out of work/didn't go to school before but I can count the amount of times I've done this one hand in the past twenty years quite easily. Did I feel guilty about it? A little, but then again I figure I normally don't do it anyways -- it's not like I call out "sick" every other week.

And even if I WERE sick, I wouldn't call out unless I'm on Death's door; even THEN I wouldn't call out. I can not afford to take a sick day, regardless of how I feel. Then again I don't get sick that often, I get more headaches then colds and whatnot.

What ticks me off is when I am sick, like today and they try to guilt me into coming into work anyway. I have a fever and am throwing up all over so no, I am not going to work.

There were several times in elementary/middle school where I would fake sick to get out of school, mainly because I needed an extra day to study for a test or do homework. I could usually get away with it too, because one time in fourth grade I told my mom that my stomach hurt but she made me go to school anyways...and then I threw up in my dad's car on the way there.

But I didn't do it nearly as much in high school, not because I felt guilty but because the workload was such that missing a day of class could really mess you up.

I've had a few genuine sick days, but I generally don't get sick at all. I have an immune system of steel! No really, strep has been going around the dorm for the past two weeks and all my roommates have gotten it and I am still a-ok! (although now I've probably jinxed it).

My sister missed a lot of school last year because she had strep, which turned into mono, and then she had an allergic reaction to her meds. It really sucked. =/

monstahh`:
When my dad died, my mother wouldn't even let me stay home one day. She made me go right to school....when all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and join him...and in a way...I still do.

When my mom died I wasn't allowed to take any time off at all. :P It was rough.
I didn't go to my classes, I just hungout in the office all day long moping.