Please don't come in sick. Please.

[CKoch]

Just overheard two co-workers sharing stories about two other co-workers who came in to work with fevers, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This, while half the bathrooms in the building are under renovation.

Seriously folks, the company offers five paid sick days a year along with personal days, floating holidays, vacation, etc. USE THEM! Even if you have to take an unpaid day, please do not come in an infect the employee population with your norovirus!

We actually cannot MAKE someone go home, even when they are displaying obvious symptions of communicable diseases. Unreal.

[sstabeler]

um, you're limited to five paid sick days a year? there's no hard-and-fast limit at my job. ( basically, as long as it's reasonable, you're OK.)

[CKoch]

Yup, five days, and you can only carry two over. We also have STD and LTD for longer periods of illness, though, and that is a pretty decent benefit.

But my point is that people who are that infectious with something that nasty ought to stay home. Along with infecting other people, it's kinda gross to hear someone in the next cube hurling into a trash can.

[Merriweather]

There are always a few workers who consider it a matter of pride to have never taken a sick day - who cares who else they infect, just look at how heroic they are.

And of course, some jobs don't pay sick time, and some people have to work thru illness in order to pay the rent or feed their kids, can't afford a day with no pay.

And then there are companies who tell you off if you take sick days you're legally entitled to, as well.

But I agree, if at all possible, keep your germs at home.

[Kristev]

Yes. Idaho had just started airing commercials telling people that they should stay home from work when they were sick... just after Wal-Mart had changed the rules so that you could only call in sick two times safely within a 6-month period. 3 would lead to a write-up, 4 or higher, you don't want to know.

[evilhomer]

One of my workplaces has guys call in sick all the time, mostly because they just don't feel like working that day. To combat this, they put a policy in place where you can only return to work with a doctor's note explaining your illness. I let them know that my first sick day will be my last day with them because there's no way I'm going with that bullshit. I'm bound to catch something over the next couple of months, so I'll have to see how it plays out.

[BrenDAnn]

I'm one that very rarely is sick, very rarely calls in sick. I can tell you that at least one of the two times in the last three years that I was sick was due to a coworker coming in sick. Said cw had strep throat. Guess what I came down with? Strep throat. Fun times. Not really. Seriously, folks, I know times are hard and you need the money, but STAY HOME! Really!

[Bardmaiden]

There is a nasty flu type bug going around (my sister got it and is currently in hospital with a chest infection) it's swept through my work place. A one point we had 16 people off in one day, that's about half a days staff.

My mismanager was screaming blue murder but I could have told it this would happen it's what you get when you pressure people to come in sick (one of the people who was off told me that they got asked if they could make it in and they really couldn't) and the company doesn't pay for sick days.

[RetailWorkhorse]

My company doesn't do sick days. I go in if I'm throwing up because I'm literally the only one able to come in when someone's sick. I can't afford to lose a day's worth of pay since I'm not salaried (and on top of all this mess, my hours got cut. I'm living in someone's backyard and MY hours get cut, thanks Bossman).