Feel guilty taking time off sick even though I am genuinely unwell?

[LeedleLee]

Hi all. I was diagnosed with a severe inner ear infection yesterday. I'm on antibiotics but they haven't quite kicked in yet and I'm in absolute agony. I took yesterday off work as there was no way I could function effectively. I did tell my boss I would try and be in today but after spending all night awake in agony again I knew this wouldn't be possible, so took today off too.

My boss was totally fine about it and understanding. I have been in this job for almost a year and this is the first time I've been off ill, so it's not like I'm off sick all the time for the most minor of ailments.

So why do I feel so guilty? We already have somebody on holiday so we're short staffed as it is, and I'm actually due to go on holiday tomorrow until next Wednesday (this time off was booked weeks ago, just my luck I got ill now!).

I'm not being made to feel bad at all, but I still feel guilty even though I am genuinely unwell. Anyone else feel guilty for taking time off work even if it's genuine?

If I'm unwell enough to be off work, I don't feel guilty about it at all. I feel annoyed as no-one will do my job when I'm not in so I have a backlog when I return but I feel no guilt whatsoever.

No.
Why do you feel guilty? Are you a people pleaser that does so even to their own detriment? If so, you should address that.

I have to be very poorly too to stay off work yet I also feel terrible guilt.
I try to remind myself of certain colleagues who have regular days off and feel no guilt and who don't even get pulled up on their attendance and I try to put things in perspective.
You are genuinely ill and you've seen a medical professional.

@OhMygodddd that's actually entirely possible.

It normally is with people who have this desire to please others, I could only call it out because I used to be the same.
Don’t worry, once you’ve been screwed over enough times you will start to put yourself first instead, I like to think we all get there eventually in our own ways.

I think when you have been longer in the work force and have more experience of colleagues, you will not feel so guilty.

I was like this for the first 15 years of work. I always worked over Christmas, New Year etc. Hols were broken. Then I had dcs, nursery closed from 23 Dec to 3 Jan. I could work a day over Christmas and get family to mind dcs. However the amount of moaning from part time colleagues with teens was unreal. They used book 23 Dec to 6 Jan off, again 2 wks at Easter and 8 wks of summer unpaid. Once I wanted Tues off after Easter and one of them had to break up her 2 wk stretch and come in.....

I am 50 now and I still try to do my best, but if I am sick I do try to rest. It is worse to go to work and make mistakes/wrong decisions. As I hear people say I have zero fucks to give....

I'm off with Covid, feel ill but not terrible and feel terribly guilty even though work are fine. I'm a confirmed people pleaser too. I've never connected the two.