Whistling while you work is one thing, but sneezing while you work is not cool. Annoying your co-workers whilst you whistle isn’t so bad, you can just stop and/or switch to humming – irritating your co-workers can be funny… sometimes. But, when you’re sick and sneezing, couching, and not making any sense when you speak then that is no fun at all. A) You feel crummy and are not properly motivated (or capable) of working. B) Your co-workers will treat you like the plague or a leper (no one wants to get sick, so they’ll maintain their distance). And C) staying at home and sleeping is your best bet, but it’s not really an acceptable thing to do. In a nutshell, being sick sucks, and it’s worse when you have to work.
Most companies give their employee’s “sick days” from which they are allowed to call in sick without feeling guilty of not going to work and thus delaying a deal or leaving clients high and dry. Unfortunately, in my industry, calling in sick makes you look like a wimp; everyone is expected to come in to work no matter how sick (or hungover) you are. If you have a migraine, take Exedrin; have a cold, DayQuil; etc… No one ever tells their employees to take the day off and get some rest, and most of us feel guilty asking, we would hate for it to translate into an excuse to just not come in. You’ve probably seen your boss working 24/7 no matter how stressed out and sick they might be, so you don’t want to be considered the weak link just because your body functions differently. Many of the execs and heads of companies can afford the best doctors and medicine, thus they are able to work with out the need of rest because of all the “superman” pills they take. We on the other hand are stuck with over the counter stuff that only works temporarily, and most of the time we don’t even take what we should – what do we know? If the bottle says it will take care of a fever, nose congestion, headache, stomach pains, and irritated eyes we’ll take it even though our main problem is a soar throat. We don’t know any better when it comes to over the counter medication, and we don’t know any better when it comes to calling in sick.
Would you rather call in sick on a day you don’t feel 100% and you’d rather just skip working and stay at home watching TV – sort of like skipping class. Or, would you rather call in sick because you have an interview for a waaay better job and don’t want anyone to find out about it until you actually get it? I’m guessing you’d opt for both. But, then comes this little irritating reality (at least for me) called karma. If you called in sick on a day that you actually could have gone to work without a problem, then eventually your lie will catch up to you. With all the extra stress and guilt of making up excuses, you’ll end up actually being sick– enough not to be able to go to work, but you’ll have to suck it up because you called in sick last week, so calling in sick again will only perpetuate your image of being a weak little person who will use the “sick excuse” any chance they get. It’s a no win situation if you ask me.
So, is it worth telling these little white lies to get out of going to work? Or will it come back to bite you in the end? In an ideal world, work would be like school – if you really don’t feel well, then you can stay at home watching TV as you drift in and out of sleep. When you get back you will have a whole lot of catching up to do, but at least now you’ll be clear-headed and properly capable of dealing with your responsibilities and stress. In the real world, I say, be prepared to issue those little white lies every once in a while, but also anticipate that you might have to use them again very soon – and you’ll need a different plan to carry it out. Outsmart your boss, and be wise about the choices you make at work. Like the saying goes, if you’re going to do something wrong, then do it right. And, if you truly are sick and know that you’ll recover faster by staying at home, then call in sick – you’re more of a coward if you prefer not to call, than calling because you need rest. In the end it’s just a job; your health and happiness is way more important and should be number one on your list of priorities – it’s better not to get paid on a sick day, than to get fired for having sneezed in your bosses face, or being so out of it that you email the wrong person confidential information about the company.
And if you have an in at another place for a better job, then take it and see what happens – you might miss out on something really good if you decide to not risk it and stay in the same place with no hope of moving up. It’s your health, your career and your future; do whatever you think is best, and make the necessary sacrifices only when necessary.
Most companies give their employee’s “sick days” from which they are allowed to call in sick without feeling guilty of not going to work and thus delaying a deal or leaving clients high and dry. Unfortunately, in my industry, calling in sick makes you look like a wimp; everyone is expected to come in to work no matter how sick (or hungover) you are. If you have a migraine, take Exedrin; have a cold, DayQuil; etc… No one ever tells their employees to take the day off and get some rest, and most of us feel guilty asking, we would hate for it to translate into an excuse to just not come in. You’ve probably seen your boss working 24/7 no matter how stressed out and sick they might be, so you don’t want to be considered the weak link just because your body functions differently. Many of the execs and heads of companies can afford the best doctors and medicine, thus they are able to work with out the need of rest because of all the “superman” pills they take. We on the other hand are stuck with over the counter stuff that only works temporarily, and most of the time we don’t even take what we should – what do we know? If the bottle says it will take care of a fever, nose congestion, headache, stomach pains, and irritated eyes we’ll take it even though our main problem is a soar throat. We don’t know any better when it comes to over the counter medication, and we don’t know any better when it comes to calling in sick.
Would you rather call in sick on a day you don’t feel 100% and you’d rather just skip working and stay at home watching TV – sort of like skipping class. Or, would you rather call in sick because you have an interview for a waaay better job and don’t want anyone to find out about it until you actually get it? I’m guessing you’d opt for both. But, then comes this little irritating reality (at least for me) called karma. If you called in sick on a day that you actually could have gone to work without a problem, then eventually your lie will catch up to you. With all the extra stress and guilt of making up excuses, you’ll end up actually being sick– enough not to be able to go to work, but you’ll have to suck it up because you called in sick last week, so calling in sick again will only perpetuate your image of being a weak little person who will use the “sick excuse” any chance they get. It’s a no win situation if you ask me.
So, is it worth telling these little white lies to get out of going to work? Or will it come back to bite you in the end? In an ideal world, work would be like school – if you really don’t feel well, then you can stay at home watching TV as you drift in and out of sleep. When you get back you will have a whole lot of catching up to do, but at least now you’ll be clear-headed and properly capable of dealing with your responsibilities and stress. In the real world, I say, be prepared to issue those little white lies every once in a while, but also anticipate that you might have to use them again very soon – and you’ll need a different plan to carry it out. Outsmart your boss, and be wise about the choices you make at work. Like the saying goes, if you’re going to do something wrong, then do it right. And, if you truly are sick and know that you’ll recover faster by staying at home, then call in sick – you’re more of a coward if you prefer not to call, than calling because you need rest. In the end it’s just a job; your health and happiness is way more important and should be number one on your list of priorities – it’s better not to get paid on a sick day, than to get fired for having sneezed in your bosses face, or being so out of it that you email the wrong person confidential information about the company.
And if you have an in at another place for a better job, then take it and see what happens – you might miss out on something really good if you decide to not risk it and stay in the same place with no hope of moving up. It’s your health, your career and your future; do whatever you think is best, and make the necessary sacrifices only when necessary.
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