Why Can't I Call In Sick?

[Pete Incaviglia]

I'm dying here. Cough. Watery eyes. Sneezing. Stuffy nose. Just brutal. So bad today I had to leave my desk because I simply couldn't concentrate with all the fluids running, seeping, draining, etc.

Now, here it is 10:50 p.m. and I have to work tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. I'm about to go to bed. But I can't stop thinking how badly I should stay home tomorrow. I am one of five people in a 10-person newsroom who is sick. But I'm the worst — I think.

I left early today (only 15 minutes) but I had to get out of there.

I shouldn't be going in spreading this ****storm around. But I'm probably going to.

Why can't I come to grips with calling in sick? I already know one of my assignments. And, I'm off Thursday and Friday. I fear management would think I'm trying to get three days off in a row and/or trying to skip an assignment. Neither is the case.

Why can't I just pick up the phone at 8 a.m. and call my city editor and say "I'm sick as ****. I won't be in." ?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Just make the call, Pete. Management has already screwed around with you in the last few months, so why risk your health and sanity and the health of others by going in when you are sick.

If assignments don't get done, then they don't get done. Management shouldn't be cutting jobs if one sick person means the paper won't get out.

 

[mustangj17]

That sucks Pete. **** your boss. Call in sick. They can't fire you for being sick. And if they do, sue their ass.

 

[slappy4428]

Sneeze on your boss. And your editor. And the publisher. Don't forget the HR person.
You'll be home and back in bed by the end of The Price Is Right.

 

[buckweaver]

Just call in.

Suck up the guilt. You don't owe them anything.

That's why you have sick days -- for when you're sick.

 

[jfs1000]

Call in. If you go in sick, you are to blame. You are obviously sick, really sick. There is a difference between toughing it out, and killing yourself.

If you are miserable and can't move, don't go in. It's just a job and not worth it. If the product suffers just remember -- you get paid either way.

If you go in, it's your own fault. Let management cover for you. That's what their job is. People get sick, tell management to deal with it. If they need a doctor's note, then get one.

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

Sneeze on your boss. And your editor. And the publisher. Don't forget the HR person.
You'll be home and back in bed by the end of The Price Is Right.

I think the ME is the one who got me sick! And the City Ed. is coming down with something. And he sits beside me.

All I need is a day in bed and four gallons of OJ.

 

[MileHigh]

Call in. There should be no guilt. Because as jobs are cut, furloughs forced to be made, newspapers forced to close because of ... nevermind, I won't go there ...

Anyway, there's no guilt on their end.

You're sick. Make the call. Get better.

 

[SixToe]

If you're that sick, came in and I had to work around you, I'd be pissed off.

Call in and stay home. Drink OJ and get lots of sleep. Don't worry about it.

 

[txsportsscribe]

suck it up and get to work, nancy! ;D

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

If you're that sick, came in and I had to work around you, I'd be pissed off.

This is usually my attitude. And it's how I ended up sick. I'm sure of it.

 

[Stitch]

Pete,

I feel the same way as you. Sick as a dog and the antibiotics aren't working.

Hopefully there isn't two set of rules regarding sick time, that it's okay for some people to call in, but if you try it, you get the third-degree.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Take a furlough day instead :)

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

Seriously, my eyes are watering so bad I can't see the monitor at times. And I'm so stuffed I can't sleep.

 

[HorseWhipped]

As for me, I can't believe this is a board topic.

Call in sick if you need to call in sick. End of story.

 

[Babs]

I get pissed when coworkers come in when they're sick and infect the rest of us. Grrr.

 

[podunk press]

Call in sick.

Sounds pretty simple to me.

 

[crusoes]

Stop the martyrdom. You're sick. Stay home already.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

Dissenting viewpoint: It depends -- some places have a macho culture where nobody stays home. You know the environment there better than we do.

One place gave us an extra day's pay if we took only one sick day in a year and two extra days' pay if we took no sick days. You should have seen the place in December, like a hospital ward. Nobody wanted to blow the bonus that late in the year.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

If you feel like you're too sick to work, keep your viruses at home.

The other week when I was sick, I decided I wanted to grill out because I figured the steak's protein would do me good. Running back and forth between the grill and the kitchen wiped me out to the point that I passed out/fell asleep for a couple of hours after dinner. Would've been better off going to Pizza Hut's web site and letting them deliver dinner.

Call in. Take some meds. Sleep a lot, eat regularly and drink quite a bit of Gatorade or another sports drink — seriously, your body's burning a lot of resources fighting the virus and it needs rest and replenishment.