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Everybody is sick right now. I was sick for about 10 days from Christmas to just after New Year’s Day.
Everyone else in the house has been sick.
Everyone I know in town is sick.
Everyone on the interwebz is sick.
I’ve seen people writing on FB and Twitter that they have dragged their ass to work or they’ve been sent home from work while being ill.
That right there is the problem…
If you’re sick, stay home!
But… then you know your co-worker Joan will make snide remarks to your other co-worker Vondra, “God, Madge is out sick again. She is such a pain in the ass. This is the 3rd time in 10 months she’s been out, how lazy can you be? I bet she’s just hungover. Or she’s always got some sick kid. Why doesn’t she take care of them better? Didn’t they just have a virus 6 months ago? God…”
Yup. You’ve all heard it. You’ve all even said it. You all feel horribly guilty when you call in sick and know no one will believe you and think you are a slacker, so you try to sound extra sick when you call in.
Or you are one of those people who is just hungover and calls in all the time and just doesn’t give a shit.
If you are that person, ummmm maybe it’s time for an intervention or like snap out of it and get a better work ethic. Or maybe marry rich…
On the other hand… we all feel guilty ‘cuz we know Joan and Vondra are gonna’ talk so we drag ourselves in. And be honest, Vince and Tony ain’t talkin’ about you, they don’t give a shit. It’s the broads. We talk. Ok and my gay manfriends maybe. We will give the eye roll and the Makayla Maroney is not impressed face. Don’t lie.
Also in this economy jobs are a privilege not a guarantee. We live in constant fear of losing that job, you don’t want to give management any fodder for firing you or giving you up as a sacrificial offering in a layoff. Or if I’m not in they’ll give that project to Bob and he’ll get the big commission or next promotion and I’m stuck on the ground floor. Sadly, these are the times we live in. Don’t you wish it was still like Mad Men and we could take 3 hour, 2 martini lunches and not give a crap?
One thing we can do is… we need to stop judging so that the sick people will stay home and stop spreading the plague. (and keep a lot of Lysol Wipes on hand)
Also there is the other side of the issue where maybe people don’t have sick time or personal time left, or never had it as a benefit to begin with. That’s been my case a few times, I just can’t lose the hours. But then I think, if I miss today’s 4 hour shift, will I really miss that $40? Sadly enough, the answer almost always is yes. Let me work from home, all my work is on the internet anyway. No? Ok, I’ll make sure I come in, wipe my nose with my hand and then give you a nice warm “thanking you for letting me keep my job” hand shake.
I’ve been fortunate that some jobs would let me make up the hours elsewhere. So I stay ’til 8:00pm one night, that’s ok, I’ll still get that $40! That’s one third of my electric bill! Livin’ large!
There’s gotta’ be a compromise. Stay home if you can. Employers don’t be dicks. Employees don’t abuse the system. That’s why I like that whole “personal day” option they have now. You don’t call it “sick time” and that way people don’t feel bad about taking an afternoon off to stand at the DMV or go see a kid’s play or even go home and cry because they are going through a divorce and can’t function today. It’s time off without the judgement.
And one more thing… Joan and Vondra, cut that shit out.