Selfish or Heroic to come to work sick?

[mamamia88]

what do you think about people who come to work sick? is it good of them to try and come in sick or is it selfish because you are forced to be around them all day and you don't want to get sick?

[Nytram]

Both.

[red_Marvin]

What motivates us, the differences between kinds of jobs, as well as the fact that there is no such thing as being either sick or not sick only, makes this question impossible to answer.

[thomasw_lrd]

Really depends on the day, and the circumstances. Doesn't matter whether I go in or not, as I can work from home. Also, I have my own office, and can physically isolate myself from them if I go to work sick.

[ki4jgt]

What motivates us, the differences between kinds of jobs, as well as the fact that there is no such thing as being either sick or not sick only, makes this question impossible to answer.

Depends on what their motives are. as was said in the quote. Believe it or not, there are (Very few) people who simply work for the joy of working. So if they were simply helping the company then their motives are pure. However selfish can be defined 1 of 2 ways. If I'm in a class room and I'm being called selfish b/c I never talk to anyone, I can also say that the person who is addressing me is selfish, b/c they do not know who I am and why I act the way I do. (Yet they believe they are important enough that I should give them my undevided attention)

[chriswyatt]

I rarely take off days due to illness, I think most people that do it often are probably just taking sickies and probably not genuinely ill. Throughout all of secondary school and sixth form I only took one sick day and that was because of stress/depression, I was feeling really down and also it had given me really bad stomach problems.

The trouble with me, even if I do feel crap I'll still carry on working, if I feel I can work then I'd feel like I was skiving if I took the day off, and I'd feel guilty. I remember once in a previous job at least 3 times during the day I said to the duty manager I've got a bad stomach and that I should probably go home and she just ignored me. In the end I said that I've needed to rush back and forth from the toilet (which was upstairs, so I had to run a fair distance!) the whole day and then she was pretty much saying, "Why didn't you tell me before!" I didn't want to tell her I had uncontrollable diarrhoea because I was embarrassed about it but I thought just telling her that I've got a bad stomach would be enough of a hint, I wasn't just making light conversation!

Actually, thinking about it, the only time I've ever taken time off work or school due to sickness is because of stomach problems, when illness has affected my mind or other parts of my body that wouldn't cause embarrassment then I've pretty much just done my best to make it through the day.

[chriswyatt]

what do you think about people who come to work sick? is it good of them to try and come in sick or is it selfish because you are forced to be around them all day and you don't want to get sick?

I don't think it's selfish. I think it's silly to try and avoid day-to-day viruses like cold and flu unless you've got really really weak health. I find these government videos about not spreading bacteria laughable to be honest. E.g. with the whole swine flu 'pandemic', it's killed basically 'hundreds' of people, yes it's killed but the numbers are nothing to worry about. Of course it's sad that it's taken lives but the hysteria really wasn't justified and the adverts about how to sneeze and not touch surfaces that I saw on TV were just absolutely pathetic! Nanny-state nonsense! (I live in the UK, were the US ones as bad?)

You can't spend your whole life trying to avoid these things, they're everywhere! If you die, you die, best to try and live your life and not worry about these things while you're still alive I think.

[theraje]

I'd say mostly selfish. If you come to work sick, you (usually) run the risk of infecting others, and even getting even more sick. Also, it causes a workplace disruption if you work in close quarters, and if you're sick you obviously won't be performing to standard.

Some people are kind of hard-headed (no offense to anyone) and think they HAVE to work under any and all circumstances. These people usually have some kind of inadequacy/inferiority complex. (Again, no offense to anyone -- I'm actually the same way.)

[mamamia88]

I work at a grocery store. I come in contact with pretty much everyone either via handling shopping carts or by handling their food. chances of my spreading whatever i have would be very high. I'm suprised i don't get sick more often. Just thought about this because a coworker came in sick today and I was doing my best not to get sick the weekend before i head back to college

[ki4jgt]

I'd say mostly selfish. If you come to work sick, you (usually) run the risk of infecting others, and even getting even more sick. Also, it causes a workplace disruption if you work in close quarters, and if you're sick you obviously won't be performing to standard.

Some people are kind of hard-headed (no offense to anyone) and think they HAVE to work under any and all circumstances. These people usually have some kind of inadequacy/inferiority complex. (Again, no offense to anyone -- I'm actually the same way.)

None taken. Just as long as you're on the band wagon too. LOL.

[ki4jgt]

I work at a grocery store. I come in contact with pretty much everyone either via handling shopping carts or by handling their food. chances of my spreading whatever i have would be very high. I'm suprised i don't get sick more often. Just thought about this because a coworker came in sick today and I was doing my best not to get sick the weekend before i head back to college

People in public jobs (tend) to get sick less (percentage wise) than people in private ones. They have more exposure to viruses and therefore have higher immunities.

[phrostbyte]

I think it's selfish. Because as others have said, you can infect your coworkers.

When you are sick you tend to be less productive, but your employer still probably pays you at the same rate.

So if you are sick and you work at a place that has sick leave, please stay home. Thank you. :)

[theraje]

People in public jobs (tend) to get sick less (percentage wise) than people in private ones. They have more exposure to viruses and therefore have higher immunities.

Alternative solution: Bathe less than twice a week.

Your immune system will thank you. Other people will thank you to stay the hell away from them with yo stanky bee-hine. ;)

[ki4jgt]

Alternative solution: Bathe less than twice a week.

Your immune system will thank you. Other people will thank you to stay the hell away from them with yo stanky bee-hine. ;)

Wasn't talking about sick people coming to work. :-) was responding to the qoute. About how the person didn't know why they didn't get sick more working in a grocery store :-)

[uRock]

For me, it depends on the sickness. If I can't keep my eyes open, then I stay home.

Selfish? No. Too many places offer free or cheap flu shots. Most government contractors set up their employees with mobile shot stations, kinda like when red cross comes for blood. If you don't get your shots, then it is your fault when you catch the flu.

The kicker, if your medication makes you drowsy and/or incoherent, then you should not be driving to work. In most states you can be charged with a DUI, if the ticketing officer finds you incapable of driving. Is it worth losing your license and possibly destroying your career?

Personally, I prefer to save my sick days for unplanned fishing trips or other enjoyable things.

People in public jobs (tend) to get sick less (percentage wise) than people in private ones. They have more exposure to viruses and therefore have higher immunities.
I have seen this in action. Putting the kid in day care made her get sick often and we cursed at the doctor bills regularly. When she started public school, she no longer caught bugs, while many of her classmates that had stay at home parents missed a lot of important time from Kindergarten. (This is when many kids learn their first words of English in my area.)

[handy]

If they are contagious they should stay home until they are not.

[HappinessNow]

So if you are sick and you work at a place that has sick leave, please stay home. Thank you. :)


If they are contagious they should stay home until they are not.

If you are sick, please stay home from work and/or school. There are too many people with compromised immune systems ie: Diabetes, etc., etc. that a simple-cold-to-you could turn out deadly to them. If you must come in and are contagious please wear a mask that actually works.

[jcolyn]

The trouble with me, even if I do feel crap I'll still carry on working

I hope you wash your hands before going back to work.... :P :P :P :P

Sorry....I couldn't resist..

[DoktorSeven]

Dumb. Not only are you not allowing your body to get well properly but you're spreading your illness to others needlessly.

Stay home if you're sick. PLEASE.

[bobbob94]

Neither selfish nor heroic, stupid if anything, though of course I understand why people do it. Basically, I think it helps create a work culture where people feel they can't take time off sick even when they are genuinely ill. Sick leave is a hard fought for right, and voluntarily giving it up, and worse, indirectly pressuring others into doing the same is a pretty bad thing imho...