I don't feel bad for the company. I feel bad for my coworkers, who are my friends, that suddenly have to change their plans or stay at work longer. That being said, even though I rarely call out, if I am actually sick I'll call in. For any other reason, like mental health, it's better just to ask for the time off so the schedule can be adjusted without inconveniencing everyone.
It's not about fear of confrontation for most of us, most jobs genuinely try to make you feel like a bad employee for calling out sick. I called out with a goddamned fever of 104 puking my ass off from the hospital and the guy literally said "Well if they give you medicine will you come in for a few hours?"
I've been here for years.
It ain't about being a dick, it's about some of y'all being perfectly happy living in a state of guilt and appeasement.
Your only priority is yourself and your own. Anybody that wants you to place them above yourself, against your will, is trying to enslave you. To steal your labor, time, and your very life.
Fuck 'em.
Don't worry about bending over backwards instead of taking care of yourself.
You're going to work yourself into an early grave like that, and you'll be blaming everyone else all the while.
Alright you're whole grow a spine comment? I didn't say that I fucking went into work! I said they tried to get me to come in when I clearly wasn't available. Which is the entire. fucking. point,
I know what it's like when somebody calls off, so I try not to subject my coworkers to that. For me, it's not about the company, but about the other staff members who will have to pick up my slack.
I know that at my work, legally someone has to be here. And if my coworkers won't cover my shifts my manager is stuck working unpaid overtime (she is on salary). And getting people to cover extra shifts is very difficult. This is partly being understaffed a majority of the time, and partly because no one wants to come in on their day off and attempt to meet the needs of members they don't know well. And the bigger houses (like the one I work at, which has 5 members, including 1 tier 5 on a 6 tier system. A tier 6 will always have a 1on1 staff. Tier 5 sometimes have 1on1 staff. Ours does not.)
So, I know that every shift I take off increases the likelihood that my manager has to work unpaid overtime. And this won't stop me taking off if I am too ill, but I won't take off unless I am too ill to work. My manager is really considerate of my requests when I make them, I don't want to make her job harder.
I can’t speak for any generation but mine. I was raised with work ethic and care about my work regardless, so I don’t like to call in sick because that means I’m less productive. It also means that my responsibilities either pile up until I get back or become someone else’s problem. I can say that my partner is younger than me and more like that generation- and at least in my partners case- I know they have problems with confrontation. I know they get anxiety at having to even call in sick and they’d rather email salary negotiations and job offers than talk to a person face to face so I’m sure famousones comment applies to at least some people some of the time. But previous generations saw calling in sick as weakness or laziness to be avoided unless there was literally no alternative.
I knew a guy who made pizza. He was old country and old guard. Best pizza- and he did it all himself and by hand with care. He’s making out lunch one day and my buddy says he doesn’t look so good. They talk and my buddy says to him that he should go to the doctor and it sounds real serious. Guys says “who will make pizza if I go?” My buddy finally convinced the guy- pizza dude says “ok. I’ll go- but AFTER I finish your pizzas.” Finished them up. Closes. Shop stays closed. A week later it’s open. My buddy goes in. Pizza guy thanks him for saving his life and give him free pizza forever. Pizza guy was LITERALLY having a MASSIVE heart attack and STILL refused to leave without finishing our pizzas. He died a few years later. Accident, not his heart. But that’s the old school work ethic.
It’s not about what you do or if your company does what they’re supposed to. It’s about doing what YOU’RE supposed to do. About putting all you have into whatever you do, about taking pride in your job. Working through a heart attack is a tad extreme though. I mean- you have to be alive to do your job tomorrow right? But a hangover isn’t going to kill you and neither is the sniffles. If need be- take off part of your shift- get sorted out- finish the day. That’s professionalism. But companies do need to start treating workers better, and workers need to start acting like professionals.
It ain't about being a dick, it's about some of y'all being perfectly happy living in a state of guilt and appeasement.
Your only priority is yourself and your own. Anybody that wants you to place them above yourself, against your will, is trying to enslave you. To steal your labor, time, and your very life.
Fuck 'em.
Don't worry about bending over backwards instead of taking care of yourself.
You're going to work yourself into an early grave like that, and you'll be blaming everyone else all the while.
Still, in my work environment, subpar work can be much worse than not being there in the first place.
So, I know that every shift I take off increases the likelihood that my manager has to work unpaid overtime. And this won't stop me taking off if I am too ill, but I won't take off unless I am too ill to work. My manager is really considerate of my requests when I make them, I don't want to make her job harder.