Tell Us: Do You Go to Work Sick?
The flu is making an early showing in the Delaware Valley. Are you staying home with it?
Local hospitals are seeing spikes in flu cases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeing flu activity in 47 states.
But, if you’re one of those people sick with the flu or with another illness, are you staying home from work?
Pressure To Go Be At Work, No Matter What
In some jobs, increased pressure to get projects complete can result in people going to work while sick. That can make it take longer to get healthy and potentially leave coworkers infected as well.
Working From Home
Infecting your coworkers isn’t an issue if you work from home. If you work from home, it’s easy to stay home, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not working.
No Sick Pay
Some jobs don’t offer paid sick leave, which means staying home sick means that they don’t get paid.
Tell Us
When you are sick, do you stay home? Do you try to gain extra points with the boss by coming in despite being sick? Do you show up so you don’t lose much needed income? Tell us in the comments area below.
Joe Phoenix
12:22 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I have to go to work sick since there is no such thing as a sick day or risk losing my job in this economy.
Earnest
10:05 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
If there are no sick days available to you in your job, your attendance when sick has nothing to do with "this economy".
Robert
12:59 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I call out but wind up connecting remotely and doing a little work from home.
JSfootball
5:02 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
My employer recommends we work from home even if we are not sick. They find we get more done that way.
Tom Weishaar
9:08 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I'm a freelance photographer and if I get sick I have to work
Rachel
12:18 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Sick days are not realistic for a lot of people. Even though I hate it, I have to live paycheck to paycheck because I have to pay for all the same bills as every other adult, and I am also trying to get my degree so that I can move up in the world. If you work for an employer who does not offer paid time off for sickness, then you either go to work sick, or you don't buy groceries. This is the harsh reality.
Elizabeth
7:13 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Unless I have a fever or vomiting I go to work because nobody else can get the numbers out and the board wants their reports on time.
i have a co-worker who brings her sick children to work--no matter how sick they are and then we all get sick.
Karen Barton
8:27 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I'm retired now but when I was working for a salary as an administrator, I went to work no matter how sick I was. I even continued attending classes at Bryn Mawr College when I had a case of measles. I put makeup on my face and wore a long- sleeved blouse to cover the bumps. Today it is less acceptable to go to the workplace and spread germs. Your fellow workers get angry.
I_Love_Delco!
8:46 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
So, you exposed your coworkers and fellow students to measles, huh? How wonderful of you.
I_Love_Delco!
8:44 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I try to lick everyone else's keyboards when I'm sick.
Karen Barton
9:23 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
There was a measles outbreak at the school and many students, perhaps most, got the measles. Some went to the infirmary, I guess with more serious cases. I was not the initial case.
As a matter of principle, I agree that the best thing to do is stay away from those who are not yet sick.
Joe Phoenix
11:09 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
@ Earnest, what I meant was I don't want to be looking for a new job in this economy. So therefore I have to go to work sick. I guess I did not word that correctly.
1
11:37 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Damn shame you have to work in a profession that doesn't give paid sick time....I have about 100+ days that I built up over the years. If I am sick, I don't come into work. Period.
A merry doe
11:27 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I'm sick with an annoying cold right now, maybe because my co-workers came into work sick, but maybe not. I think we're exposed everywhere. I went to CVS to buy some medicine and who knows how many sick people were there before me. You can pick up colds anywhere. I will stay home if I feel too sick to work.
Stefanie
12:53 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
With my employer, i receive a total of 3 weeks paid time off that i can use at my discretion but if I use up too much time before the end of the year, then I have to come in and work if I'm sick since this time doesn't roll over. In October/December, i actually worked while having a fever & being contagious because i didn't have enough time to take. It sucks, but at least I'm getting paid.