54% of Canadians have faked sick to skip work

[polak]

I've only called in sick when I was hungover once in my life and that was for my companies Stampede Party which was an all day, close the office event.

I got so slammed the night before I couldn't possibly imagine going to do it all over again. Needless to say my boss was shocked.

[WhiteTiger]

This thread has me wondering what an 'appropriate' amount of sick days are. I realize that there are a ton of variables (Parents needing 'sick days' for their kids is a big one) and keeping in mind that you can never make everyone happy, and no matter what system you have in place, people will game it. I still wonder how many sick days are 'enough'.

[tete]

At my work, we don't have any allotted sick days, but you can call in sick and get paid for the day. Anything more than 3 days in a row requires a doctor's note, longer than a certain amount, you go on short term disability, then LTD. I don't know of anyone who abuses this. Prior to kids, I took 2-3 days a year for legitimate illnesses, don't think I've ever taken one simply to skip work, I always have plenty of vacation. So far in the 5 months I've been back to work, I've been off 3 days, my kid is a germ factory and my immune system is in the crapper. I've also had to take 4 vacation/flex days so far to tend to the kid's illnesses. I suspect that those people who abuse allotted sick days will find ways to abuse non-allotted or even non paid days.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by Azure

Sounds like you shouldn't be working for that company in the first place.

I don't... anymore.

Originally Posted by Azure

I work with people I would have no problem spending a weekend with, especially if it involved something like a ski trip.

Well that's nice. However, and you may have noticed this about other people before, not everyone is you.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

While I totally agree a person without a work ethic isn't much use... I don't think using an odd sick day up tells you a person lacks work effort.

About twice a year I'll be sick on some random Tuesday, I'll cut out that morning and head to a movie threatre, alone, to watch whatever the heck is playing. Those are such nice recharge days.

Question my manhood, question my work ethic... but ya need those days sometimes.

Mental health days I call them. I've taken one or two of those over the years.

[Southern_Canuck]

This is an interesting thread.

I don't know that calling in sick to work when you are not actually sick indicates anything about work ethic or not... or that someone who does not ever do this is a chump or not.

But one thing it does confirm without a doubt is that the person that does call in sick when they aren't is a liar.

That is why I don't do that.

S_C

[Rathji]

I get 15 sick days a year and am encouraged to use them for my kids and family.

Couple years ago I used them all, mostly due to my kids, but since then just been banking for short term disability. I have enough flex time, that if I ever want a day off, I can normally give less than a day notice to get time.

The jobs I have had before this though, u certainly have faked sick. The old "Oops, I stayed up all night playing video games and can't come into work because I still need to finish it." excuse hasn't been needed in over a decade though.

[GirlySports]

do you guys actually have to call in sick and fake it or can you just email it?

[Montana Moe]

I have to call.

One supervisor always says OK, no questions asked. The other always has something snarky to say, but he's a dick.

When we retire, we get 1/4 pay for every hour of sick time we have on the books. I have co-workers with thousands of sick hours available.

We also get an extra 24 hours of vacation time if you have no sick days for a calendar year.

[jtfrogger]

It is interesting to see the different work experiences that people have. Some people think that everyone cheats, others nearly the opposite. I have worked in places where people rarely missed work. It was almost more common to send someone home that was sick than it was for someone to call in sick. Most people had less than three sick days in a year. And this is in a situation where there was no defined limit in sick days.

I can think of one person that abused the situation. It was pretty obvious, but I knew I never had enough proof to do anything meaningful about it and figured nothing would come out of confronting her. If I were to tell her how I knew she was lying, she would just have gotten better at covering it up. She was actually a decent employee otherwise. I would even hire her again if the opportunity presented itself. However, she never did have my complete trust. She lost out on substantial bonuses and raises. She was compensated well, but not nearly as well as she could have been.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Azure

Sounds like you shouldn't be working for that company in the first place.

I work with people I would have no problem spending a weekend with, especially if it involved something like a ski trip.

I don't think co-workers should spend too much free time together. Keep your work and personal life separate.

1. It is difficult to make necessary moves when your coworkers become friends.

2. People say and do things they should not when drunk.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by troutman

2. People say and do things they should not when drunk.

I used to work with a chick and she used to get pissed at work functions all the time, 1/3 times the night would end in her showing off her tits.

[GirlySports]

heh if I were a manager I might host a fun departmental drinking event.
Sure it might set me back a few hundred bucks but the information I would get about other departments or even my own staff would be worth it in the long run

[V]

I remember a few years ago in early October I showed up for work, drank my first coffee and decided I didn't feel like working. I drove to Yamnuska and spent the day climbing. I didn't tell anyone I was leaving, and no one knew where I was, but as a project manager at the time, it wasn't unheard of for me to be out all day. It was one of the best days in my professional career.

That's really the only time I wasn't at work when I should have been, and sometimes I think I need to do it again. Yam in early October Is amazing.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

heh if I were a manager I might host a fun departmental drinking event.
Sure it might set me back a few hundred bucks but the information I would get about other departments or even my own staff would be worth it in the long run

So you'd like to entrap your people into potentially compromising situations to leverage yourself into power positions over them?

Kind of odd if you ask me but I assume you're joking in which case, carry on.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by troutman

I don't think co-workers should spend too much free time together. Keep your work and personal life separate.

1. It is difficult to make necessary moves when your coworkers become friends.

2. People say and do things they should not when drunk.

There is a huge difference between co-workers spending every single weekend together and the company organizing a yearly sking trip to show some appreciation for a job well done.

And if you in a management position, and you can't get rid of someone who creates issues for your team because they are your friend, perhaps you should find somewhere else to work too.

My absolute biggest gear grinder. People who make exceptions for friends or family when they damn well should hold them to an even higher standard.

[Kybosh]

I spent a little bit of every working day fantasizing about just disappearing to a foreign country and seeing how long it would take for people to stop paying me.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Azure

My absolute biggest gear grinder. People who make exceptions for friends or family when they damn well should hold them to an even higher standard.

Heh. In university I was a teacher's assistant and part of my duties was to grade the students' papers. I informed the professor that my brother was in the class and that might be a conflict of interest. The professor asked if it was likely that I would give him a higher grade than the other students. I replied, no, I'd likely mark him harder than everyone else because I expect more from him. Professor said to carry on....

-=-=-=-=-=-

I was the "Social Committee" head for my division the last two years. We organized bowling outings, halloween parties, Christmas/Holiday(for the pastafarians) potluck events, etc.. You don't have to be best friends with your co-workers, but I think you work better together if you know the people you are working with and what makes them tick.

[Azure]

Helping at a soup kitchen is also a great outing. Tends to put things in perspective for people that are high strung.

[Bill Bumface]

I think a huge problem with sick day abuse comes from a generation that begain their carreers working for companies that would do anything regardless of the effect on their employees to get the share price up a penny. Outsourcing, layoffs, wage roll backs, I've worked in companies going through those processes, and people seem to "get sick" a lot.

If you work somewhere where you believe the company will take care of you and realizes you are a human, not just an expense on the books, there is more obligation not to abuse your privelidges and work flexibility and to go the extra mile when required.