Being Sick in the Workplace

by In Transition Working Girl

I am in week two of my new job, I am loving every minute of it and my workaholic ways have returned. I have already turned in several 11+hr days and am so happy to be stimulated again!

That being said as I was filling out my new hire information and learning about the work policies, it got me thinking about sick time and how to handle it, so I thought I would open the discussion up on Working Girl. How do you handle being a working girl and getting sick? Do you call in? try to pull through?

In my opinion there are really two schools of thought. One, you call in the moment you aren't feeling well or two, you show up to work until someone notices how sick you are and sends you home. I feel from my experiences rarely is there a third when its somewhere in between.

For me personally I am guilty of working until I get sent home. I feel there are so many people in the work place that take sick days often and without merit many times, but I want my employers to KNOW I am sick. Bad thinking? For me I feel it shows dedication to my employer and they know that if there ever is a day where I am sicker than a dog-I must be telling the truth! Is seeing really believing? Its a little weird to be forced to go home, mentally it makes me feel better having them acknowledge it rather then question me.

On the flip side though, I know that I get annoyed when people come in coughing all over me so if I am really not feeling well I try to let my boss get the hint early in the day.

This is just how I personally handle the situation-What is your take on sick days? Do you call in or wait to be sent home?

That's Sick!

It's beginning to feel like autumn in New York. The days are getting shorter and I need a sweater or light jacket when I walk out the door in the morning. The onset of autumn only means winter is around the corner and I'm getting closer and closer to having a horrible cold or worse, the flu.

Every year, I seem to get at least one awful cold. Last winter, my sinuses were a mess. The winter before, I had strep. I dealt with a rotten case of the flu senior year of college. My poor grandmother, who lived about 30 minutes from my campus, had to pick me up and take care for me for four days. Ever since then, I've gotten a flu shot from the nurse at work and I sure plan on getting on this year.

There are few things I hate more than not feeling well (my mom calls me the dying swan every time I'm sick because she says I'm such a drama queen...this may or may not be true). So the moment I notice someone around at the office is coughing or sneezing or sniffling I start chugging water, popping vitamin C and washing my hands like it's my job.

This year, with all of the swine flu drama, I'm even more worried about getting sick. My office has been proactive and recently added signs in the bathroom with instructions on washing hands and antibacterial hand soap has been added to the pantry. Hopefully that's a good enough start to keep us employees well and at work.