how often do you take sick days?

[jennlin]

do you need to make up work when you take them? are you given a hard time by boss or coworkers? does the world still spin w/o you?

[jennlin]

my sick time expires at the end of the month, and i need to take a few days, but i always feel guilty and the world certainly does not spin w/o me, so when i come back, it's double the work. it's frustrating and makes sick days difficult.

[niq]

I can WFH sick. Unless I have a serious migraine or the flu, I just do that. And I try to actually WFH (take a shower, sit at a desk, put on real clothes) instead of Yahoo it up.

I've thought about wearing a mask to work when I'm sick, the way people in Japan seemed to do when they had the sniffles (I think they do this partly b/c it's rude to blow your nose but it seems like a good idea)

I think I average taking 2-3 sick days per year.

[Deleted]

I have a weird attitude about sick days but don't like using them. I guess its because I don't usually get sick for multiple days in a row, just a half day or something now and again so I like to save them officially in case I get really ill...like that cold that had me out for a solid week. I come in late sometimes if I've had a bad night but don't usually take those 3 hours as sick pay. I feel guilty staying out but shouldn't.

[jennlin]

Apr 9, 2013 14:59:43 GMT -5 @ksta said:

I have a weird attitude about sick days but don't like using them. I guess its because I don't usually get sick for multiple days in a row, just a half day or something now and again so I like to save them officially in case I get really ill...like that cold that had me out for a solid week. I come in late sometimes if I've had a bad night but don't usually take those 3 hours as sick pay. I feel guilty staying out but shouldn't.

are you allowed to flex this time and stay late or is it sort of ignored as a salary employee?

[dana86]

When I was working a regular job I think I took one sick day maybe two in 7 years. Any job I had that offered paid sick leave if the days weren't used we were paid for them.

[Deleted]

I can stay late as flex or stay a little late a few days to spread it out over the week better, or what I more often do is just take it as unpaid. My boss always made me feel guilty for staying home all day so I'd usually drag myself in. Finally about a year or so ago, she started saying "you can stay home all day, you don't need to come in" instead of this subtle guilt thing but usually its a day when I know I have something on my desk that needs doing and I can't just pass off.

That is one positive about this job and I'm pretty sure I won't have at a new job. They're pretty lenient about flexing time or taking time off.

[sarack]

i never take sick days. i actually can't remember when i ever did.

[picksthemusic]

I can take what I need. We have a float pool that my manager can pull from to cover sick people - or we just make it work. It's usually for a valid reason (I'm sick or baby's sick or nanny's sick), or for vacation, which is known ahead of time (usually more than a month). My boss is really flexible and will make most any situation work if she can. I don't have to make up hours unless I want to come in on my own time and do extra work since I'm hourly.

[cdmay]

When i was working in schools, making up sick days wasn't an option b/c a sub would be needed.  Dh can make up partial sick days during the same pay period if he wants to, but there is no expectation for him to do so (even if he is out of paid sick leave).  I don't think you should be expected to make them up, though if they are worried about it they could ask for a dr. note verifying that you had an appt or other medical need to miss work.

[cdmay]

Apr 9, 2013 16:19:56 GMT -5 sarack said:

i never take sick days. i actually can't remember when i ever did.

Don't you use sick leave for prenatal appts?  Or do you make up that time during the week (or something else)?

[stretchad]

Technically, I accrue sick time because of the fact that so many people are part timers or hourly employees throughout the entire organization. Most of the salaried people in HQ though, take could take the full sick time accrual immediately if they need it. I have taken about a half day for actual sick time, and I am counting my days I had to take for IVF & Dr. Appointments towards the sick time as well. If I needed a day or so above that, I could probably take it...no one besides me is keeping track of how much I've actually used and manager is very flexible.