Calling In Sick... Does It Make You Feel Guilty...?

[Micca]

I take fewer sick days than almost anybody, so if I have to miss work, I try not to let it bother me. I once worked for a guy who hadn't missed a day in 20 years. It was difficult to call him to say I couldn't make it to work due to illness.

 

[piperdown]

I guess I'm lucky. I have a boss who prefers us not to come in sick and spread our germs. She is also very understanding of having to take care of sick children.

 

[sam_gordon]

I hate calling in sick. Even if I don't have anything "pressing" at work, I feel guilty. I think it's because we (those of us who feel guilty) feel an obligation or responsibility to our coworkers and employer. Yes, we are entitled to sick days. Yes, it is usually better to take a day off than risk making others sick. But there's still that little voice in the back of your head that your letting someone down or fulfilling your rsponsibilities.

I called in sick Wednesday morning. As Tuesday wore on I felt worse & worse, just achey all over. Didn't sleep well Tuesday night, including a "not normal" trip to the bathroom. DW took me to the doctor Wednesday morning... strep. She dropped me back home, I crawled back into bed while she went and filled my prescriptions. I was back at work Thursday.

Fortunately, my current boss is a "family first" type of guy. My old boss when you called in sick (or having to care for a sick kid) was a "sigh, ok" kind of guy.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

Yes I do feel a little guilty.

 

[daisyduck123]

I teach 1st grade ...now & then I need a break, even when I'm not sick.

I get 10 sick days/year.

 

[Becky2005]

Not if I'm really sick....of course, I'm old and have seen it happen way too many times where people come in super sick and the rest of us were just wishing they would go home!

Now if I called in "sick" and was just wanting a day off to go shopping or something then I would feel guilty.

It's a skill I've had to teach my kids -- honest if you are running a temperature or throwing up -- I don't care how much you think you are going to get in trouble for not showing up to whatever it was you are supposed to be doing -- nobody wants you there & if they give you flack about it -- tell them it was me! DD is on tech crew and it was the week of the musical so basically a "you can't miss" and I refused to let her go to tech that night -- she looked awful and then I took her temperature and she had a fever. She still thought she had to show up because it was required and was afraid she would get in trouble. I'm pretty sure NONE of the other students want someone there that is running a fever and have them possibly catch something to which they could end up missing a performance!

For that matter, I was sick not too long ago but not really bad enough to stay home -- it was a cold I could NOT shake which turned into a sinus infection. Basically they let me go home early several times and I didn't feel guilty at all -- I was just thrilled I could get out of there early.

 

[minniecarousel]

I will usually go to work, even if I'm sick because I work alone for only 3.9 hrs in the morning. I figure I can get through that. It really inconveniences a lot of people if I'm not there first thing in the morning. Planned vacations/days off are bad enough, I hate to surprise them. I had so much vacation time accrued, I HAD to take some time off. Soooo, I went to WDW in Ocotber and then Disneyland in February - just doing as I'm told!

But yes, I feel guilty when I stay home even when I'm really sick!

 

[cheshireqt]

Used to feel bad about calling in, so I do know what you mean, but I got over that quite a few years ago when I had a coworker with Lupus - she came out of remission twice during the time I worked with her, if someone was selfish enough to come in knowing they were sick she would have to leave, and use her precious sick days for their illness. Made me realize how my "work ethic" could be extremely detrimental to someone else. I now know I would feel worse giving my aches and chills to a coworker. So no I don't feel guilty calling in sick.

I also work in a team environment. A coworker came in last October with fever, hacking cough and chills. Within a 2 week span of time every single person in our office had to take several days of leave because they exhibited the exact same symptoms! Selfish and far more detrimental to our team than one person taking care of his virus at home!

 

[Melmac]

When I was at my job through high school and university, I felt bad for calling in sick since someone had to cover for me. If there wasn't anyone to come in, the other person scheduled had to do twice the work. Plus, I worked with the public so I didn't want to come in if I was hacking all over the place.

At my current full-time job, I don't feel as guilty. No one can cover my work so I am not creating extra work for someone. In the 10 years I have been there, I think I have only called in twice for mental health days (and even then, I stayed home - I was paranoid I would run into my boss or something). All the other times have been real sick days - I get migraines and they were not controlled for a long time.

However, I have a coworker who never calls in sick and makes you feel guilty when you do. Drives me crazy. Since she is the front desk person in our office, you have to deal with her at some point in the day (and the public deals with her all day long). It's lovely when she has coughed all over the documents you need I wish she would stay home when she is sick. Also, we get lots of sick days a year (non-reimbursable) so it is not an issue of not getting paid while off.

 

[hereyago]

No I don't. I'd feel guilty if I went in and passed around the sickness to everyone else and their families.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I've called in sick THREE days this week, plus left early one day. Yeah. I feel guilty. I guess I was raised to have a good work ethic or something. But I am SO sick. And it doesn't help that I'm up all night with the baby. I'm trying to not feel bad about staying home. Our projects are mostly wrapped up until the kick off of new ones next week, and everyone else is out of town on business, but I feel like a slacker.

When I worked at another company (Not going to name names, but it starts with "I" and ends with "BM") you were expected to work from home when you called in sick. What does that say about our workaholic society?

Hope you feel better!

I do not feel guilty....but I work for myself actually I rarely not work

 

[sunnyday123]

Not in the least. If I'm sick, my Dd is sick or I need a mental health day, there is no guilt.

But you'd have to know the place I work for to understand it.

 

[DebbieB]

Since my company no longer has sick days and you have to use PTO for the first 5 days, most people don't call in sick unless they really are. Many people drag themselves in sick and infect others or we have to listen to them coughing their heads off. We're glad if they stay home! If they aren't really sick, then they are using their PTO, then it's a day they can't take another time.

 

[Holly]

Yes.

I do feel guilty even though I'm just an unpaid intern.