How often do you take a sick day?

[Rapunzel91]

For those employed, how often do you take a sick day from work? And do you still sometimes work when ill?

Im ill all the time so tend to just work at home when I have a cold which is often. I’ve got a stomach bug today but feel like I still need to work as I took a sick day about a month ago 🤢

I think I’m ill more than the average person to be fair. Don’t know why, just seem to pick up everything 🤷‍♀️

I don't think I've taken an official one since 2023 and I had covid.
I'm lucky that I can WFH most of the time so have logged off early when I've had a cold then made the time up, so that's not an official sick day.
I only take a sick day if I actually can't sit in front of my computer all day - so bad stomach bug for example

My last sick day was in early 2018.

But had I had to work during the Christmas period this year when I was incredibly poorly with a third bout of Covid, I’d have been off at least a week! The first two times it barely affected me so it’s very strange.

(I have had the option to WFH for the last 5 years which probably reduced sick days too)

“Take a sick day” is an odd phrase. It makes it sound optional. I’ve never taken a sick day for colds or flu or bugs - I never get sick like that. But I have taken sick leave for other things - broken shoulder, cancer treatment, surgery, sciatica etc.

4 days sick in 51/2 years in current job. Others in my team seem to have a lot more than this.

Spring 2022

Hardly ever. Unless you are proper bedridden it's very unprofessional in my opinion.

About 3 genuine days in the last 10 years.

Fortunately I’m not ill very often. But if I don’t feel well I take a sick day. I’m not one for battling on. If I’m not well I want to be under my duvet not in front of a screen.

I've had quite a few despite being quite robust. I once got chicken pox as an adult and was off for a week. Then some internal bleeding and an emergency operation, then a head injury, the latter two involved six weeks off in each case. Then the odd migraine.

I've had quite a few in the last few months due to a bad luck run of dental infections, a herniated disc, and something else severely painful. We have to account for all our time and it's safety critical work so I can't go in and have a halfhearted day making mistakes.

We have a very strict drugs and alcohol policy including prescription drugs like strong painkillers. I don't expect my team to work when they are too ill to do the job properly.

I don't think I've ever had one.

I'm 62. I had 0 last year and 0 the year before. I have had half a day this year as that current virus floored me.

Before last year the last time I took any days off sick was pre covid, then I got hit with Covid in July and it wiped me out for 3 days

Not frequently, I definitely would be seen as someone in the team who doesn't take time off.
I will say though, I only work PT, so unless I'm absolutely laid up, I can usually fight my way through as I'll soon be able to rest

My boss won't allow WFH if ill. If you're too Ill to be in the office, you're too Ill to WFH. She's a bit of a soft touch!

A couple a year. I work from home which helps. I’m always worried I’ll need my sick leave for something ‘important’ and this year I did - I used my full 4 week entitlement to recover after unexpected surgery.

Op, I'm guessing that you must be getting yourself run down by being on the go all the time (or have small children who we know are all experte at sharing their germs).

I was rarely sick before having DC. when I had my 1st I think i had 3 stomach bugs within 6 months (never had one previously except in childhood!)

Illnesses affect people differently. Many people cope with a cold but others are absolutely floored.

Best thing you can do is try to get a decent amount of sleep and eat properly. If it continues maybe see a GP to check whether you have any deficiencies?

Me.. 2 maybe 3 times in the last decade. Some of my team, multiple times a year with the illness becoming more and more outlandish with each instance. Oddly though, whatever it is always comes after being up since 2 o clock. Always 2 o clock. 🤔

Every few years. Maybe every 2 or three years I'd take a day. Very rarely sick. Just lucky.

Lots of us aren't martyrs, just don't get sick. Genetics I think.

When I am pretty ill. In this job it seems to be two weeks every winter with Covid around October or November and a flu or random respiratory thing in January. This has been the pattern now for three winters.

Unless I’m throwing up I don’t. I can’t afford to take time off for a cold.

Out of interest does that mean someone permanently on painkillers couldn't do the job?
Just being nosy as I take dihydrocodeine daily and morphine most weeks but it has no effect on me!

2-4 a year I’d say. I usually succumb to a virus at some point in the winter but I’m only off a couple of days - I find if I stay off sick and completely rest, I recover pretty fast.

I take a sick day if I’m actually vomiting, or if I have had an operation and am convalescing, and I did when I had Covid but only for the days I was actually in bed feeling like shit. Otherwise I don’t take sick days. Certainly a bad cold would not do it. I would go to work but stick to my office with the door shut as much as possible so as not to pass it around.