Folk Coming Into Work Sick

thomasross20

It's not smart and it's not macho. Take a sick day. 
Half the office is coughing. It's ridiculous. 
I've got vested interests in that I'm going on holiday tomorrow to see Steel Panther and now I feel like I'm coming down with it. Also, my partner just finished chemo but is still ill and it will make things that much worse for her (that's been a looong year). Also... these people are just going to give others their bug. 
Inconsiderate? I think so. Maybe I'm just a grumpy bugger.

Flink_Poyd

thomasross20 said:

It's not smart and it's not macho. Take a sick day. 
Half the office is coughing. It's ridiculous. 
I've got vested interests in that I'm going on holiday tomorrow to see Steel Panther and now I feel like I'm coming down with it. Also, my partner just finished chemo but is still ill and it will make things that much worse for her (that's been a looong year). Also... these people are just going to give others their bug. 
Inconsiderate? I think so. Maybe I'm just a grumpy bugger.

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

Jalapeno

Flink_Poyd said:

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

This.  The culture of fear in the workplace these days is strong .....

Drew_TNBD

You're absolutely right.

Flink_Poyd

Jalapeno said:

Flink_Poyd said:

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

This.  The culture of fear in the workplace these days is strong .....

Not totally out of fear, I find if I sit at home with the sniffle

A. I get bored
B. I feel worse as you sit around doing nothing
C. I get paid a bit less 

If I go to work 
A. Still a bit bored
B. My body works to fight through it
C. I can afford drugs and hookers

impmann

Jalapeno said:

Flink_Poyd said:

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

This.  The culture of fear in the workplace these days is strong .....

Frankly, if your boss is that much of a dick that doesn't see that humans get ill from time to time, and need time to recover... plus that infecting the whole work force actually ends up costing far more in the long term... walk away, find something else.

Culture of fear. Lack of support. Erosion of rights.

Land of dope and Tories.

Ravenous

Trouble is, if you're in a company where you have to phone the boss in person and she's hard to find because of meetings etc, it's better to just give up and come in anyway.

I don't blame the people, I blame the culture.

Jalapeno

impmann said:

Jalapeno said:

Flink_Poyd said:

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

This.  The culture of fear in the workplace these days is strong .....

Frankly, if your boss is that much of a dick that doesn't see that humans get ill from time to time, and need time to recover... plus that infecting the whole work force actually ends up costing far more in the long term... walk away, find something else.

Culture of fear. Lack of support. Erosion of rights.

Land of dope and Tories.

I send people home immediately, and most "bosses" I know would too - it more people's need to be seen going above and beyond that is the cultural issue - I blame Thatcher !

crunchman

The OP is in an unusual situation in that his wife is ill, but in normal circumstances it's unlikely to make a difference anyway.  You will just get exposed to the bugs from some other route.  They will be doing the rounds in my daughters' school and in the school my wife teaches at.  Most people in London will be exposed to a tube carriage or bus full of it as most of them are too thick to realise that it's normally quicker and cheaper to get to work on two wheels.  You could get exposed in the supermarket or pub, or at a gig.

thomasross20

I'm taking a half day, I feel like sh!t. And I'm standing for about 4+ hours at this gig tomorrow. 

DLM

I first learned of this on here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Factor

It explains why my UK-based peeps have to go to a meeting with HR after a few days sick leave.

Inhuman idiocy, if you ask me.

Flink_Poyd

impmann said:

Jalapeno said:

Flink_Poyd said:

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

This.  The culture of fear in the workplace these days is strong .....

Frankly, if your boss is that much of a dick that doesn't see that humans get ill from time to time, and need time to recover... plus that infecting the whole work force actually ends up costing far more in the long term... walk away, find something else.

No I'm not just going to walk away from my job thanks.

 If I take a sick day it's because I'm genuinely not able to work, not just because I've got a bit of a cough or cold. I could take a day off, pop to the shops for some milk and pass it on to just about anyone I come into contact with, not exactly fair on them either. 

Troy

I had to practically beg for time off for a major op couple of years ago from a previous manager, funny enough don't work there anymore.

MrBump

My industry has embraced flexible working, meaning that it's now far easier to work from home.  That means that days off sick are now virtually non existent - if you have the sniffles, or worse, you work from home in front of the laptop/Netflix feeling miserable, but dealing with the day to day admin.  You're way less productive, but more so than if you took a proper sick day.

gubble

I've come into work today and I'm full of a cold and feel rotten.

I don't get sick pay except for SSP so can't afford to be off.

I got this cold from another person in the office who also had to come into work.

RocknRollDave

impmann said:

Jalapeno said:

Flink_Poyd said:

If I took a sick day every time I had a cough or sniffle I'd be sniffing outside the local job centre. People have bills to pay and could be on a warning for sick absence for all you know. 

This.  The culture of fear in the workplace these days is strong .....

Frankly, if your boss is that much of a dick that doesn't see that humans get ill from time to time, and need time to recover... plus that infecting the whole work force actually ends up costing far more in the long term... walk away, find something else.

Culture of fear. Lack of support. Erosion of rights.

Land of dope and Tories.

Cos getting another job is easy, eh? 

Dopesick

I came into work today yet I feel like death. I'm spluttering, my eyes are bloodshot and I'm extremely lethargic.

Maybe something to do with the thirteen hour crack binge I went through yesterday.

WezV

DLM said:

I first learned of this on here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Factor

It explains why my UK-based peeps have to go to a meeting with HR after a few days sick leave.

Inhuman idiocy, if you ask me.

ah, the Bradford scale - I remember having a full week off instead of a day because the points system made it the only sensible option

Col_Decker

My old place used the Bradford Factor. When my Mrs was off work with a dose of the depressions I was taking time off, going early, coming in late etc. Got that score up to 17,000. Still a record for that factory all these years later. My boss was cool with it though, the HR lady came to see him about it and he said "yeah, so?"

fields5069

I once triggered an automatic meeting / interview with my manager by coming back in to work too soon after a couple of days off. I went off sick, thought I was well enough to come back, realised that wasn't the case, and so went off sick again. I'd triggered the threshold of sickness "occurrences" and had to answer a questionnaire. Nuts.

thomasross20

You guys work in some crap places.