Thursday 23 May 2013

I Just Can't Call in Sick

Today marks my two year anniversary with the company I've been with. After three extremely intimidating interviews, along with four computer aptitude tests, I got the call from the job agency saying I got the job. I was faxed a letter from the company with a salary offer - and vacation time! What?! I get a salary AND vacation?! As someone who had just spent eight years doing shitty part-time jobs, I was thrilled. This meant a regular paycheck and I would be paid for taking time off to relax!

What I didn't get? 

Sick days.

Probably why I don't get sick days
Sick days here run off of an honour system: if you're sick, you call in and stay home. You still get paid.

This sounds great, but I pride myself on being as honest as possible. And let's be real here: a cold does NOT mean that you're sick. I get colds. Often. But I don't get sick.  (Hangovers also don't count as being sick.)

So, as I sit here, on my two year anniversary, my head congested, my nose stuffed and my throat scratching me like it ain't nobody's business, I will continue to smile and act like my bed isn't all that's on my mind right now.


Let's not forget the bottle of Purell and the no-name-but-nice-smelling hand sanitizer I have at my desk, to protect everyone else. It's a cold. It's annoying. It's not deadly. But it can be contagious. I'm not about to pass that onto everyone else.

The one upside: if the cold is really bad (which this one isn't), I'll get sent home. At least then my boss knows I'm not faking it!

Do you still go to work if you have a cold?

Does your workplace give you sick days?

14 comments:

  1. I always get call-in remorse! I hate it. At my old job, people would shameless skip work and I always hated them for their bravery lol

    At this job, its also like your honor system. They're technically unlimited. Every time I take one though, I WAS sick. I just can't abuse without feeling bad.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Feel better girl!!! Eat some soup and go to bed later!! My dad was just talking about this the other day. His company gives sick days and all. Most of the people will call in sick and just work from home. My dad's called in once in the year he's been there. He had a cold about a month ago for like a week but still went in. Miserable but still did it. One of the people that works for my dad called in the other day with a stuffy nose and a few little symptoms. My dad was like "If I can go in you can". My dad's the manager so it makes him alot more work than this other guy so thats even worse. Although I dont have a job, I'm proud to say I never called in sick from school until my senior year of high school!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aww, I'm so sorry to hear you're sick, Alex. I hope you get lucky and they send you home. I will keep good thoughts that you feel better soon and get to relax tonight. Lots of love Xoxox

    ReplyDelete
  4. Feel better! And happy job-anniversary! When I was working on my MA you were only allowed three sick days a term or they dropped you from the program. Which meant that we'd all come to school disgustingly sick and infect each other. xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Feel better!! We get sick days, I've already had to use 3 of mine. UGH I was miserable, I couldn't even move. But, if we're out for more than two days in a row we need a doctor's note, so lame, but it keeps you from calling in sick when you're not.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ohhh my goodness girl- we are in the exact same boat. We do 'honor system' sick days too and I think I've called off one time in the almost 4 years I've been here. I just feel bad about it!! I was really sick this past March, for 2.5 weeks and never ever took a day off. Blah! Feel better!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Feel good Alex!! We onlly get 7 a year. I dont think the honour system would work at our company. We definitely have to call in sick on the pilot side though even if its just a cold, cuz u can really hurt urself with the climbing/descending.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Feel good Alex!! We onlly get 7 a year. I dont think the honour system would work at our company. We definitely have to call in sick on the pilot side though even if its just a cold, cuz u can really hurt urself with the climbing/descending.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I go to work when I'm sick, try to tough it out, even though I do have sick days that accumulate over the years. Feel better!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I never could stretch the truth either! I've thought about it but am a total scaredy cat! Hope you start feeling better soon and cheers to just one more day til the weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm the exact same way about being sick! I'm don't want to call in because then I think what if they don't believe me, so I usually go in and let them decide for themselves if I'm too sick to work. I hope you feel better soon! If you have a fever though I think that would be a pretty legit reason to stay out!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Girl I am exactly like you! I've had this awful cold for what feels like forever and have been desperate for a day off to just relax and start to feel better but I cannot call in sick! I just hate it, I hate feeling behind or leaving the responsibility of my job to others. Good for you, a dedicated employee :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Our sick days and vacation are combined. So if we call in sick, we basically lose one day of vacation per each "sick" day we use! I hate going to work when immsick, but sometimes I force myself to

    ReplyDelete

I love comments. Thanks for making me smile!