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6 years without a sick day until now
noise747
Posts: 30,862 Forum Member
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So annoyed, 6 years since I been off work sick, I tend to go in even if I am not well. Got a pain in my stomach for the last three days, but there is no way I ca go into work like this, find it difficult to walk even. Will phone doctor surgery soon and make a appointment, but still annoyed.
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No, just feels like indigestion but more pain, so tired as i did not get much sleep last night. I made the appointment, for 10.30, a doctor i never heard of, but then I have not been to our surgery to see a Doctor for years, i have been to see nurse about ears.
So this doctor is a new one on me.
This isn't the old days where being off sick is seen as weak or lazy - if you're ill then stay at home.
OP - get well soon, and try and see a doctor asap. I personally wouldn't bother with a walk in service, because I've experienced a couple and they do bugger all except determine if you're ill enough to see your usual doctor.
I never get why people are proud of never having a sick day. Either you've got really good health which is really good luck, or you've gone in sick when you didn't need to. It strikes me that an employer that values never taking sick time when you need it isn't worth the effort. My work let me work from home if I've got something gross and contagious but am able to do work. I only do the work if it's urgent or if I'm bored though. A day or two off sick really shouldn't make a difference to anyone's perceptions of you as a worker.
Have to admit I’d never even heard of the term ‘presenteeism’, but this is quite interesting; (depends how bored you are, I suppose)
https://www.investorsinpeople.co.uk/resources/ideas/9-tips-countering-presenteeism-workplace
It’s very easy to tell people to stay at home if they feel unwell, but many people will not get paid if they if they don’t turn up for work.
True, and you have to be off more than a week to get Statutory Sick Pay.
Would make sense if everyone was allowed, say, 5 paid sick days to prevent them going in to work ill, and if they are not used then add them on to next years holiday allowance?
Trouble is many companies don't see it as a problem and do see it as weak or lazy.
I get 5 days paid sick leave (I think!) but it doesn't get added on to next year's holiday, and I don't think it should really. It's not a holiday, it's just an acceptance by my employer that in the event of illness, I don't need to drag myself into work. If unused sick leave were added onto holiday, then it would be counterproductive surely, as people would come in so they could accumulate holiday for next year!
I suppose I am thinking of those on a wage where a lost day of pay doesn't make a difference when I get annoyed at 'pride' at going to work sick.
It is annoying, I haven't had a day on the sick since February 2006, and the record becomes one you start to get proud of.
One guy at work reckons he hasn't had a day off sick since 1989 - 25 years. Although that does extend over more than just our company.
Hope you are OK anyway, and they find out what it is.
Allocating a set number of sick days isn’t necessarily the answer.
If, as in your case, unused sick days are tacked on to holiday allowance the next year, then there’s still incentive for employees to come in sick, so they get more holiday.
If it’s a use-them-or-lose-them policy for sick days, then employees who aren’t sick often could feel hard done by if Jane sat next to them had 5 paid days off sick whilst they had none.
I know some companies in America have separate sick days and annual leave days, and it creates a sense of entitlement to the paid sick days – people call in sick even when they’re not, because they want to use the days.
One interesting idea I’ve heard about (again in America) is a single paid-time-off allowance. This is to cover sick days and holidays/annual leave – so you get (for instance) 30 days paid leave which you can use as you see fit.
Of course, there are problems with that approach too – those who are sick often (or who have chronic/recurring illnesses) will lose out on “fun” holiday time, and in the UK it would be a legal minefield with regards to SSP, the right to a certain number of annual leave days etc. I think it works in the US as there is no legal requirement for paid time off at all (which is shocking to me, but still).
I think the best approach is for employers to monitor sick leave per employee. If an employee needs a day or two off sick (as in the OP’s case) then it should be paid, however if an individual employee starts taking the mick then that should be addressed head-on, and no further paid sick days allowed. Don’t put a number on it – if you’ve got an absolute rock star employee who one year happened to contract a couple of nasty bugs, they’d still get paid. If you’ve got a mediocre employee who is constantly off sick (for genuine or made-up reasons) then you would address that person’s performance directly and explain it is not viable to pay them for all the time they have off (excepting SSP with dr’s certificate).
But then that approach would require good management, and too often companies like to implement blanket policies which punish and/or reward everyone regardless of their individual performance and circumstance.
As for you, OP – hope you feel better soon, and don’t feel bad about taking the day off. I’m sure your employer would rather have you take a day or two off and feel better so you can work productively, than drag yourself into the office, hardly do any work because you feel awful and potentially infect your coworkers too.
My company did something a bit like this - we have quite generous sick leave (I just checked - 4 self certified days paid in full, plus 15 certified days 'topped up' from statutory sick to full pay), but they introduced a comprehensive 'back to work' form for even a single days absence. My manager took the piss out of it when doing it for me, because he knew I'd worked from home that day to get some urgent stuff done, but apparently the obvious fakers really struggled with all the lies they'd have to tell and their sickness leave mysteriously dropped afterwards!
It works especially well because the same number of days applies to everyone so it's legally fair, but the fakers have a lot more effort to put in.
If your job requires any sort if mental effort, you're likely to make mistakes that will then take time and effort to correct.
I'm dead against the presenteeism culture. I say to my guys 'Any idiot can sit behind a desk for 10 hours a day. I'm interested in what you're actually delivering, not how long it takes to deliver'. Similarly, I've told them off for recording sick time as flexi leave instead of booking it as sick leave.
Thanks people, i know it is silly, if you ill you are ill and nothing you can do about it, I suppose it is pride thing, I don't know why because I get nothing for it and I doubt I get any more thought of than someone who have more time off.
I came back from doctor and been trying to get some sleep, got a bit but not much.
...we could be classed as polar opposites..i was always taught,do as little as possible for as much as possible..trust me..that feeling of annoyance goes away after a couple of months on the sick..
Hope are feeling well soon, noise. Wishing you the best.
Before I started this job 10 years ago, I was on the sick for just over 12 months as soon asi was able to i looked for work, i hated being at home 24/7.
i will do some reading later, that should stop a bit of boredom, or I may stick windows 7 back ont his machine since Windows 8 is being a pain in the neck.
i don't think I could not take a holiday, you got to get a break from work, I have a week holiday next month, I also hoping to get away from this city for a few days as well.
Thank you, hopefully the antibiotics will start working today.
Thanks, Pain is starting to go, but one of the antibiotics are side effects is nausea and boy do I know it, felt awful yesterday. Strange because I have had Antibiotics before and they have never affected me that way.
Maybe because they are a different type.
i know what you mean, apart from the fact that I only drink once in a blue moon.