Do you take sickies from work?

Leaving Cert Student

I took transition year off completely and worked with my dads company for a year... nobody asked any questions and then I hopped back in for l.c. after earning a nice packet the ultimate sicky

davet82

only had 3 sick days in 12 years, two were genuine the other was for the worst hangover ever

kaimera

Due to the nature of work I do, can't afford to have the co-workers sick so we are advised not it come in if actually sick.

neilthefunkeone

1 in 3 years for genuine reasons!

Person in our office had 50+ sick days last year.. So 70+ days off incl holidays. Joke that they gets away with it!

Penny Dreadful

wandatowell wrote: »

What about your kid passing the illness onto other kids?

Its only a cold for crying out loud! There is nothing wrong with a kid/adult going to school / work with a cold.
We all catch bugs and colds from somewhere and deal with them and get over them.

matrim

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

1 in 3 years for genuine reasons!

Person in our office had 50+ sick days last year.. So 70+ days off incl holidays. Joke that they gets away with it!

For someone to have 50+ days they must be genuinely sick, I wouldn't really call that a joke. I'd rather be healthy and in work than sick and off for those 50 days

Leaving Cert Student

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

We all catch bugs and colds from somewhere and deal with them and get over them.

Said the monkey to the man before engaging in an act which ultimately induced the HIV virus in humans.

HalloweenJack

In the last two years since I started working full-time, I've taken two sick days.

One, I was actually already in work when I started throwing up so they let me go home.

The second was my last day in work and I'd been out the night before. I was still pretty hammered when I woke up so called in sick and went back to bed. When I woke up, I'd forgotten I'd called in sick so I thought I was late for work and rushed in, only to be told I'd called in sick. It was my last day so not like anything was going to happen.

krudler

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

1 in 3 years for genuine reasons!

Person in our office had 50+ sick days last year.. So 70+ days off incl holidays. Joke that they gets away with it!

What if they're actually sick? just because people don't go around broadcasting their ailments doesnt mean theyre fine. I missed a few months of work when I was first diagnosed with arthritis, due to being bounced around from one medication to the other before one actually worked, in and out of doctors every week for bloodtests and going to specialists (200 quid a pop, pfff). But you wouldnt think there was anything wrong with me to look at me.

runawaybishop

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Its only a cold for crying out loud! There is nothing wrong with a kid/adult going to school / work with a cold.
We all catch bugs and colds from somewhere and deal with them and get over them.

Took 7 days off over the last year, 5 were after an operation and 2 were due to a ****ty cold i caught from someone in work that should have stayed home.

CruelCoin

Op:

Never.

I was running a 41c temperature and still came in to work.

I think really poorly of those who take a sickie over every little sniffle.

Czarcasm

Leaving Cert Student wrote: »

Said the monkey to the man before engaging in an act which ultimately induced the HIV virus in humans.

What an incredibly stupid comparison coming from a leaving cert student. I hope one of those subjects isn't biology!

Thatnastyboy

I did once,

kinda a sickie - was hungover, and told the hr boss that this was the case

Started a thread about it,

Felt bad,

Havent done it since, have no intention of doing it again, twould be counter productive anyway, i'd end up playing catch up for the next few weeks,

Ilyana 2.0

I've had maybe five sick days in the last five years; I had tonsillitis on two occasions, and a horrible 24 hour bug another day. Then I took a weekend off because my uncle had just died and I had to travel for the funeral. Work are quite sympathetic with things like that if you're not inclined to take the piss.

I don't get paid for sick days - no work, no money. Even if I'm dying with the mother of all hangovers I'll go in.

Bartyman

davet82 wrote: »

only had 3 sick days in 12 years, two were genuine the other was for the worst hangover ever

1 sick day in eleven years, now going through the redundancy process, other people have had several sick days per year, every year and their (HR) jobs are safe.

Makes you think !!

neilthefunkeone

matrim wrote: »

For someone to have 50+ days they must be genuinely sick, I wouldn't really call that a joke. I'd rather be healthy and in work than sick and off for those 50 days

You would think so.. But nope..

Feathers

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Its only a cold for crying out loud! There is nothing wrong with a kid/adult going to school / work with a cold.
We all catch bugs and colds from somewhere and deal with them and get over them.

In my place, the client is charged based on the hours we put in, which drives how much we're expected to have done at the end of the month — if someone comes in when sick, on paper it looks like he's putting in 40 hour week, but if he's working at 60–70%, other people have to pick up that slack. & then they get sick, & it goes round the whole team.

I'd say my employer too would prefer if one person took time off sick rather than half the team get it & keep going with reduced productivity. I can understand contractors working through it though, as they'll miss a day's pay for it (though that said, the rate they charge should factor in sick days too).

Penny Dreadful

runawaybishop wrote: »

Took 7 days off over the last year, 5 were after an operation and 2 were due to a ****ty cold i caught from someone in work that should have stayed home.

CruelCoin wrote: »

Op:

Never.

I was running a 41c temperature and still came in to work.

I think really poorly of those who take a sickie over every little sniffle.

Me too.

Feathers wrote: »

In my place, the client is charged based on the hours we put in, which drives how much we're expected to have done at the end of the month — if someone comes in when sick, on paper it looks like he's putting in 40 hour week, but if he's working at 60–70%, other people have to pick up that slack. & then they get sick, & it goes round the whole team.

I'd say my employer too would prefer if one person took time off sick rather than half the team get it & keep going with reduced productivity. I can understand contractors working through it though, as they'll miss a day's pay for it (though that said, the rate they charge should factor in sick days too).

How sick you are is all relative. I work through a lot and can still put in a full day. Other people succumb more easily (or possibly are more sensible, jury is still out on that one!) and so put in a poor performance when they are sick.
Some people whether they are sick or not still only put in a 70% effort on any given day.

runawaybishop

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Me too.



How sick you are is all relative. I work through a lot and can still put in a full day. Other people succumb more easily (or possibly are more sensible, jury is still out on that one!) and so put in a poor performance when they are sick.
Some people whether they are sick or not still only put in a 70% effort on any given day.

No, you only think you put in a proper days work when you are sick and wilfully ignore the knock on effects. I caught a horrible cold from a workmate which resulted in me being off work for 2 days and being sick over Christmas. My wife then caught it off me and developed a chest infection, my son also caught it.

Stay at home, you are not a martyr.

Capt'n Midnight

avoid patterns

did you know that 40% of sickdays are taken on a Monday or Friday ? :eek:

Sofiztikated

I get bástard kidney infections now and again, so I have to phone in sick. I'm useless when I have them.

I've had to go home sick when I tore cartiledge in my knee, and my leg locked straight.

CruelCoin

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

avoid patterns

did you know that 40% of sickdays are taken on a Monday or Friday ? :eek:

I see what you did there...

Wanderer2010

CruelCoin wrote: »

Op:

Never.

I was running a 41c temperature and still came in to work.

I think really poorly of those who take a sickie over every little sniffle.

Why, exactly? Does it make you a better person for coming to work with a high temperature compared to someone who is sensible and decides not to risk their own or others safety and get a sick note for a few days rest? Im curious as to what makes you look down on people who take sick leave. Im very surprised by all the people here who seem proud of never taking sick days, do you get any extra thanks or money? In most cases no!

Where I am people take the mickey almost every single day with sick leave and its 100% tolerated by the management so rather than being a martyr most people indulge.

Leaving Cert Student

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

avoid patterns

did you know that 40% of sickdays are taken on a Monday or Friday ? :eek:

Not overly surprising considering most people only work weekdays - 5 days.
and monday is one option in five - 20%
as is friday - 20%

sum of the two 40%

hmmm...

lg123

Leaving Cert Student wrote: »

Not overly surprising considering most people only work weekdays - 5 days.
and monday is one option in five - 20%
as is friday - 20%

sum of the two 40%

hmmm...

you are going to kill that maths paper in june!!

Ush1

I read a study a few years ago and it was of sick days taken in European cities.

Manchester was top of the list with on average 11 sick days per year. Dublin was joint second with a couple of other places on 9 days per year.

Leaving Cert Student

lg123 wrote: »

you are going to kill that maths paper in june!!

Thats the plan

Leaving Cert Student

Czarcasm wrote: »

What an incredibly stupid comparison coming from a leaving cert student. I hope one of those subjects isn't biology!

bahahaha chill dude take a joke

pragmatic1

Yep. They're great.

Boskowski

While I have a good job that's sometimes even interesting and nice people to work with there's hardly a single day in my life I'd rather not do something else. It's bloody work after all.

However I don't take sickies as such.
There may be the odd day when sickish when technically I could drag myself in but I don't.

Feathers

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

Me too.



How sick you are is all relative. I work through a lot and can still put in a full day. Other people succumb more easily (or possibly are more sensible, jury is still out on that one!) and so put in a poor performance when they are sick.
Some people whether they are sick or not still only put in a 70% effort on any given day.

The people who put in 70% effort regardless will either put in 30%, or stay home completely. The real productivity loss isn't that you're performance never drops (unlikely), it's the knock-on affect on the team.

Unless you're on commission or a daily wage, I'm not sure why you would come in.

Leaving Cert Student

Ah the old battle between manliness and the moral highground, time to unsubscribe...

mconigol

krudler wrote: »

Being sleep deprived or completely bummed out to the point of being not much use even if you were there I wouldn't really class as faking it, your mental state should be enough grounds to ring in as being physically sick, sometimes its easier to power through a cold or whatever than it is to deal with personal stuff.

That being said I know someone who took over a week off because they were dumped by someone they were going out with less than 3 months. thats taking the absolute piss

This.

I take time off it I need it - physically or mentally. Doesn't happen too often but I don't see any problem. When I work I'm usually the last to leave the office, often don't take my full holiday entitlement etc.

Don't understand the badge of honor mentality - you're working your ass off to enrich others. I'd imagine most people (in private enterprise) work well beyond their contracted hours and salary, answer emails in the evenings/weekends so I wouldn't consider it "stealing" unless your a lazy git who never does any work anyway!

keithclancy

You'd be hard pushed to pull a sickie over here (Holland)

If you call in sick you can get a random visit from an Arbo Doctor (Doctor working on behalf of your company) that calls out and verifys that you are actually sick.

Missus had a car accident there a few months back called in sick the next day as she was understandably hurting from the impact.

Got a knock on the door at around 12am, "HELLO I AM THE ARBO DOCTOR I AM HERE TO VERIFY YOU ARE SICK"

Good system imo, the amount of hangover sickies in Ireland is unreal in comparison.

johnnycarrick

I take at least 5 days per year off sick, whether I am sick or not.
I just treat it as extra holiday. If I fancy a weekend away and can't take the holiday time, then I just phone my Manager and tell them I have the flu.
I suppose I was corrupted in my first job at 19 years old. There was a man there that had been there 25 years. Every year on the first week of August he would walk up to the local DIY place on his lunch break and return to work with his wallpaper rolls and tins of paint.
The following Monday he would phone the Foreman saying he had done his back in at the weekend and wouldn't be in for a week.
The following week he came back right as rain, and the Foreman would ask; get all your decorating done then Bob? And give him a knowing wink. My backs fine now, thanks Henry; he would reply with a wink.
It was like a gentleman's agreement there. We all did it, took 5 days off no questions asked. The Foreman was a sound man, and knew the score. He was at it himself of course.
That was one of the best firms I ever worked for, and its still going with men that have worked there 25 years or more.
You see if you look after your employees like that, and realise men and not machines, you get loyalty of a kind that is long gone.
These days firms treat employees like a number. So why shouldn't the working man have his sick days off? They think nothing of making you redundant, or cutting your hours when the work is lean. I feel no shame in taking sick days off.

runawaybishop

johnnycarrick wrote: »

So why shouldn't the working man have his sick days off? They think nothing of making you redundant, or cutting your hours when the work is lean. I feel no shame in taking sick days off.

You have holidays for that.

Dodge

Love how some people are posting their replies from work (don't lie, some of you are) and taking the high moral ground on sickies.

As ever I believe press reports are grossly overstating any kind of issue. Vast, vast majority of people only cry off sick when not fit for work. 1/2% of eejits who abue it shouldn't get to influence how the rest are seen

johnnycarrick

runawaybishop wrote: »

You have holidays for that.

Yes, but not enough days.
And more importantly I am told when I can take them.
When you choose to take your days off, that is priceless.
Its not the same when a man is telling you when you are allowed to take time off. You see in my experience, and I have a fair bit of that under my belt; precedence is given to married men with kids, to fit around school holidays etc.
When you are a single man, with no kids; then you have to join the queue to take your holidays after the family men. That's just the way it is.
Personally I like to take my time off when it suits me, an if the man says I cant, then there is another way; my way. I think nothing of taking sick days off and getting paid for it.
The way I see it is this; a working man should be allowed to have his holiday when he chooses. If you deny the man that right, then he will phone in sick and get what he wants. Either way, the working man gets his time.
I have only ever worked for one firm that understood this. I gave my heart and soul to them for 8 years. You see that is the loyalty I am talking about. When you look after the working man, he will have his 5 days sick off; but when he is there he will give you everything you ask of him and more. Why? You bend the rules a little for him, and turn a blind eye to his days off sick.
Employers get more out of employees when they look after them, but loyalty counts for nothing anymore. It works both ways.

Lollipops23

johnnycarrick wrote: »

So why shouldn't the working man have his sick days off?

Most companies give 22+ days off. That's 4 weeks (if you work mon-fri) and 2 left over.

I really don't mind people taking a day here and there if they're sick, that's fine- especially as it doesn't need to be passed on to your workmates. But some people take the absolute piss- the girl I replaced in my last company was let go due to her poor attendance record (not the official reason, but certainly the main reason why).

krudler

Lollipops23 wrote: »

Most companies give 22+ days off. That's 4 weeks (if you work mon-fri) and 2 left over.

I really don't mind people taking a day here and there if they're sick, that's fine- especially as it doesn't need to be passed on to your workmates. But some people take the absolute piss- the girl I replaced in my last company was let go due to her poor attendance record (not the official reason, but certainly the main reason why).

22 in our place too, I had 3 sick days last year, one for a rotten headcold and the others for a stomach bug. the bouts of illness thing annoys me though, 3 days in a year is the same as 3 weeks in a year. makes no sense, ergo if you're sick you may as well get a cert and take a week off, same difference.

runawaybishop

johnnycarrick wrote: »

Yes, but not enough days.
And more importantly I am told when I can take them.

My boss also tells me what work to do. **** The Man, oppressing me.

Rasheed

Things are gone so tight at work, that I couldn't enjoy a sickie, knowing how tough the day would be on everyone else.

Even when I'm genuinely sick, the guilt is desperate. Fecking embargo.

johnnycarrick

Lollipops23 wrote: »

Most companies give 22+ days off. That's 4 weeks (if you work mon-fri) and 2 left over.

I really don't mind people taking a day here and there if they're sick, that's fine- especially as it doesn't need to be passed on to your workmates. But some people take the absolute piss- the girl I replaced in my last company was let go due to her poor attendance record (not the official reason, but certainly the main reason why).

22+ days off isn't enough when you can't choose when to take them off.
So I prefer to take 27+ days.
Fair play to that girl, living her life and getting paid for it. She was laughing all the way to the bank. You see you don't get promoted for never taking a day off sick, or being good at your job; they are myths.
The reality is that its not what you know, but who you know. That's how you rise through the ranks. Sick days don't come into it, Manager's and Director's are all at it; all the way up to the CEO.
Say others on your firm are taking 5 days off sick, and you don't. Do you get a loyalty bonus, or attendance bonus for it at the end of the year? No.
But while you graft away, they are enjoying for paid free time off.
Now that is smart.

irelandrover

keithclancy wrote: »

You'd be hard pushed to pull a sickie over here (Holland)

If you call in sick you can get a random visit from an Arbo Doctor (Doctor working on behalf of your company) that calls out and verifys that you are actually sick.

Missus had a car accident there a few months back called in sick the next day as she was understandably hurting from the impact.

Got a knock on the door at around 12am, "HELLO I AM THE ARBO DOCTOR I AM HERE TO VERIFY YOU ARE SICK"

Good system imo, the amount of hangover sickies in Ireland is unreal in comparison.

I've worked in Holland for the last five years. As far as I'm aware it's only after 3 days off that you can be forced to see a doctor. Different companies can have different rules but thats true everywhere

c_man

I took my first and only 'sickies' back in October. Two days off, living the dream arsing about the house having a few spliffs. Felt kinda guilty though. The next month, I took a few days off and was dying sick for two of them. So it all balanced out.

keithclancy

irelandrover wrote: »

I've worked in Holland for the last five years. As far as I'm aware it's only after 3 days off that you can be forced to see a doctor. Different companies can have different rules but thats true everywhere

Nope, Arbodienst can call anytime you call in sick, generally most companies will go with the 3 day rule though, however from other expats i've heard that they also got a callout on day 1 from the Arbo Doctor as they had previously called in sick in the previous 3 months.

You don't even have to go to them, the Arbo Doctor comes to your house.

Legally your own doctor cannot give you a sick note either (which is a pain in the arse in my case as a cross border worker)

Lollipops23

johnnycarrick wrote: »

Fair play to that girl, living her life and getting paid for it. She was laughing all the way to the bank. You see you don't get promoted for never taking a day off sick, or being good at your job; they are myths.

Eh, no, she got let go...?!


It's something that is mentioned on a reference letter only if it's true. I've noticed over the years that it's not what's on the letter, but what's omitted. Like for me I've always had "great attendance and punctuality", but the same wouldn't have been included for the girl I mentioned.

I live my life wonderfully, I go out with friends, have seen wonderful parts of the world and plan to see even more.

I just don't screw my company over with my misplaced sense of entitlement to do it.

CruelCoin

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Why, exactly? Does it make you a better person for coming to work with a high temperature compared to someone who is sensible and decides not to risk their own or others safety and get a sick note for a few days rest? Im curious as to what makes you look down on people who take sick leave. Im very surprised by all the people here who seem proud of never taking sick days, do you get any extra thanks or money? In most cases no!

Where I am people take the mickey almost every single day with sick leave and its 100% tolerated by the management so rather than being a martyr most people indulge.

Funny how people are never too sick to operate a motor vehicle to travel to the doctors.....

There doesn't always have to be a material motive for everything you do.
I don't see how people here can be so proud for taking a sickie for a hangover. Unprofessional in the extreme, and says nothing for them, other than "dems lads sum good crack like".

Funny how people will treat a cold like its a life or death situation, huddled in bed with chicken soup, lemsip and feeling sorry for themselves.
Man up for christs sake.

I'm not trying to imply anything, but from your last line, can i assume public service?

CruelCoin

johnnycarrick wrote: »

"blah blah, stiff em for all they're worth"

Nice do nothing attitude you got going on there

irelandrover

keithclancy wrote: »

Nope, Arbodienst can call anytime you call in sick, generally most companies will go with the 3 day rule though, however from other expats i've heard that they also got a callout on day 1 from the Arbo Doctor as they had previously called in sick in the previous 3 months.

You don't even have to go to them, the Arbo Doctor comes to your house.

Legally your own doctor cannot give you a sick note either (which is a pain in the arse in my case as a cross border worker)

Good to know. Maybe that' s why people don' t call in sick for one day off.

However i have noticed that the long term sick in Holland seem to be a lot more. The average amount of sick days per person in the last place i worked was 15.4.