More than one in four Americans go to work even when they’re sick because they are afraid of losing their jobs. Nearly 20% of Americans say they come to work when they’re sick, no matter what. And 17% of workers report that only doctor’s direct orders would keep them home.
Sick
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Before I retired, I learned that it was best to stay home with a cold or the flu, since I would infect co-workers and make them sick (common sense).
On the other hand, as a leader in the Little Rock Classroom Teachers’ Association, serving on the insurance committee, I learned that certain teachers were asking their doctors for a write-up for illnesses just before summer vacation. This enabled them to collect “sick pay” *and* their salaries over the summer, thus getting double what they otherwise would have received. Our committee agreed with the insurers that this had to be written out of the agreement/contract. 🙁
I’ve wondered what the current situation is regarding sick days at work. At my former hell/job, where I was the youngest and the newest hire, I went to work no matter how sick I was because I wanted to prove my dedication and responsibility (and to dispel the laziness myth about young people). This was years ago, when the economy was tanking and nearly everyone at my work was being laid off, including the person who was recently voted Employee of the Year. One flu season was so bad that people on the phone couldn’t recognize my voice. My supervisor finally told me to go home and get better.
Funny enough, my supervisor took more sick days than plague victims; if she sneezed, she went home early. She still had the nerve to question my work ethic a few times, and she’s still employed there. Live and learn, especially since the job didn’t compensate me for acquired sick days.
As far as employment goes, this issue in particular gets to me. I’ve never had a paid sick day anywhere. Fortunately for me, I never get sick anymore. Bosses think people lie about being sick, well, because it’s too often the case. Some places expect you to arrange a coworker to take your shift or show up anyway because, hey, they got a business to run. Fuck your life. And funerals aren’t legitimate unless the deceased is a grandparent, parent, sibling, or child. When I last attended a funeral, it was disconcerting who had to limit time there or skip entirely because of paramount work.
The ventilation in the board room has, of course, state-of-the-art nano filters, which even the smallest virus can’t make it through. But it was a nice try….
Henri