Sick time?

[oppita]

I have experience from two totallly different places:
in Sweden we could be home for a week without any doc´s note...if I had a cold, there is basically no need to go to the doc ( just be in bed, drink fluids), so this way national sec.system is not overload with request for migraines/cold note..People are used to it, and normally don´t abuse it..you really stay home only when you need to. It´s kind of honour thing :-)

in Spain...I basically have to present a doc/nurse note everytime...even if I have appointment to just draw some blood for test..The worsest is to take you ass to doc even if you´re feeling so baaaddd and have no desire to sit in waiting room..And one more thing..must be a Social Security doc no private practicing doc that write you a note.. ( I have private gynecologist and I always get appointment outside of work hours because hers note is no good)..I could go to the soc.sec. doc but it takes 3-4 months to get appointment, and well...it´s really fuss...( inconvenience in living in big city)..

On other note: It would be interesting to compare health care system...but that will be whole another thread..

[katherine2473]

I have 2 different perspectives here! First, I'm self employed and living in the UK. Haven't had a day off sick in my whole career - I reckon I'd pretty much have to be at death's door before I would be able to justify (not least to myself) leaving a client waiting at court because I felt ill. Adrenalin gets you through most things however lousy you're feeling. We always joke at work that the only people who never seem to get flu are the self employed and mothers!
Secondly, my DH lives in the US and works for United. They are a crappy crappy company! Always trying to squeeze their pilots till the pips squeak. Constantly trying to get them to cut costs, and then awarding management obscene bonuses that, strangely enough, mirror the amounts saved. We've had 8 days of holiday this year. He had to kick up a real fuss to get 4 days off for our wedding. I don't feel like they do a lot to earn our loyalty. My DH has a massive bank of sick hours built up from his pre-furlough days - he can't cash them in and if he never uses them, they go to waste. Last weekend he cashed in a couple of days' worth. At the time he had impetigo on his nose. Didn't look too pretty and he was self conscious about it, but nothing to stop him from flying if he'd wanted to. But I was over and he didn't want to. I figure our lives are hard enough so I didn't have too many problems justifying it! If we have kids, I don't think I'd have too many problems justifying him taking a couple of days off (not over Christmas or Thanksgiving though) to make sure he gets to come to a school play or whatever. Probably not too admirable but the company sure as hell isn't going to look out for our marriage and family so we'll do it for them!!

[Lurker]

BF doesn't get 'sick days' or 'mental health days' (hehe)...but he would NEVER call in sick...He believes calling in sick is just shitting on the next guy. That's not the culture in QF.

[flyershoe]

I also think that if Americans had more vacation, we wouldn't be sick as much or feel that we needed to take sick time!

There was an article published a month or two ago that talked about how little vacation we get compared to other industrialized nations, and that we aren't even taking the amount of vacation that we do get!

[Lurker]

Well we get 12 days out here...I've never used more than about 5 days of mine each year in the last 7 years. No sick days or mental health days here either.

[Anonymous]

Originally Posted by Anonymous

How many DH's/SO's take "sickations"?

I'll see if I can make the poll anonymous so everyone can feel comfortable posting without getting their guys in trouble.

He has in the past, and at some point most likely will again.

[christykay]

Originally Posted by Anonymous

He has in the past, and at some point most likely will again.

As has my DH.
I can't recall the last time DH used sick time, but he has and in the future I'm sure he will again.

I am obviously really late to post, but it truly amazes me that such a simple question can turn to such a heated debate.

[the_woman_99]

Originally Posted by christykay

I am obviously really late to post, but it truly amazes me that such a simple question can turn to such a heated debate.

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by flyershoe

I also think that if Americans had more vacation, we wouldn't be sick as much or feel that we needed to take sick time!

There was an article published a month or two ago that talked about how little vacation we get compared to other industrialized nations, and that we aren't even taking the amount of vacation that we do get!

I agree! I'm so amazed Americans get so little time off. There'd be a riot over here if we had our leave taken away! We get about six weeks off a year!

[Bigsweetie]

Originally Posted by flyershoe

I also think that if Americans had more vacation, we wouldn't be sick as much or feel that we needed to take sick time!

There was an article published a month or two ago that talked about how little vacation we get compared to other industrialized nations, and that we aren't even taking the amount of vacation that we do get!

I think that would be the case for while, but eventually we'd go right back to calling in sick. We just don't have the mentality here that other nations do. We tend to "take work home with us" whether it's working on actual work, or stressing about the job itself. That's how alot of people get burnt out and take so much sick time (at least that's how it was for me). We're just not as laid back as some other countries are (i'm jealous) and too much of our lives revolve around our careers... even when we're not physically at work.