To take a sick day?

[littlemissglamorous]

Just back from a week of annual leave, and had to take a sick day from work. Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, cramps, etc. I was in no shape to work today and speak to clients, so I took the day off. Management don’t seem to have an issue (3 others are off with the same symptoms) but I’m worried it looks a bit cheeky to take a sick day so soon after holidays.

AIBU and is it not that big of a deal? Or AINBU and it was cheeky?

Wait sorry I mean
YABU = you shouldn’t have taken the day off
YANBU = taking the sick day was the right thing to do

Those are the the days that are less likely to be faked so I'm sure no one minds!

And you didn't really have a choice!

If you’re sick take the day off, that’s the whole point of a sick day. No need to do mental gymnastics over it. If you’re unwell, you’re unwell. We don’t get to choose when we are under the weather.

It’s like taking Monday off after the weekend, trouble is, no one knows when you are going to be ill. Life doesn’t work like that, we ay human & we go wrong, never at a covenant time.

Hi @littlemissglamorous YANBU, health comes first, take rest, hope you feel better x

Unless it's a reoccurring thing it won't be and issue. HR get arsey when someone is continuously I'll on a Friday or a Monday because it looks like they are after a longer weekend etc. They look for patterns like that. This can't be helped so I wouldn't worry about it

I wouldn't worry - I came home from a week in The Gambia with a bug, tried to go to work but the bosses packed me off home too! I had picked up a bug on the last day, and was ill for another week.

Sometimes it happens, can't do much about the timing.

It’s called Bradbury or something like that I think? But as you say, it’s a pattern.

I was in yesterday, only started really feeling ill last night. I don’t think I’ve ever taken a sick day on a Monday or Friday. I’ve probably taken 3 days all together this year, this would be the 4th

I honestly wouldn't worry about it - you're ill and are doing the right thing staying home!

If you were in yesterday then it doesn't look like you are faking to extend your holiday so don't worry at all ☺️

Not a clue what they call it, I don't work in HR or anything but I used to work for an absoloute corporate machine and more than 2 days off sick and you were on a warning even if they were 11 months apart in days

I don't get why would have gone in at all in this situation? Why would you need a manager to send you home?

That’s mental! Corporate companies are just insane. My own company has a corporate side but I work on the other side. I couldn’t put up with the corporate side, they’re all nuts

The Bradford Factor is what you’re thinking of!

It’s very selfish to NOT stay home when sick. You don’t know who goes where after they interact with you- is it someone going to a house with a newborn or an immunocompromised person, etc.
If you’re ill- take the day or two or whatever it takes to feel better (and you’d likely recover much faster). As a bare minimum and to ease your own guilt- WFH.

I do work from home but I make a lot of calls. I figured it would be better to take the day than be on the phone while on the toilet 🙈😂 My poor clients don’t need that!

If you're ill, you're ill. I had to take a day off immediately after returning from hols a few years back because I got food poisoning on my last day on holiday. 100% genuine but I understand why you think it looks bad.

God that sounds horrific. Some employers just want to milk every last drop out of people don’t they. Glad it’s a job that’s in your past and isn’t present! I don’t work in HR either but my dad used to and was a union branch secretary so the Monday/Friday thing just rings a bell.

That’s the one! As I say, not my line of work but remember my dad mentioning it back when he was in HR.

You can’t diarise being sick! Don’t worry about it.

Hope you feel better soon x

I was in the police working for a deeply unsympathetic boss who expected people to turn up for their shifts unless they were in intensive care..... He saw me sprint for the bathroom several times and finally sent me home an hour or so into the shift.

Presenteeism is a huge problem in jobs like that. I had warned colleagues to keep their distance until he intervened and washed everything I touched. It was the best I could do at the time. Plus it was about 15yrs ago when managers like that could still intimidate me. Aged 40-something me would tell him to get fucked these days! 😂

😂😂😂 I’m in my mid 20s so I’m still a bit easily intimidated. Can’t wait to get to the stage where I’ll tell people to get fucked, sounds very fun! 😂

Absolutely awful! Can't imagine this at all. I work in a hospital though so they're pretty strict on us not being in when infectious.