So on Monday, a colleague of mine comes into work coughing up a storm. Next day, she's out with the flu. The person in the next cubicle is diagnosed with it yesterday so it's obviously starting it's inevitable office wide chain. Great. Just fantastic.
What I don't get is people coming into work sick. I work for a company that is pretty generous when it comes to sick leave. I know for a fact that the woman on Monday, who has been here 10 plus years, has ample sick days. Freaking use them. Stop trying to be a hero & infect the rest of us. I know it goes back to the Puritan work ethic, but jeez...STAY HOME.
I'm sure you all experience this too, but it's so damn annoying, especially this winter when the flu is really going around.
I have sick time at my job so I am one of the lucky ones.
I agree with that & it's f*cked up.
Thank You.
My boss has an infant, our president has a couple toddlers, and our CEO has a couple toddlers. They get it.
Can't blame some people if they feel like they have to come in. It does suck for everyone else though.
Another poster suggested that's tough shit, he's coming into work when sick, and we should just wash our hands.
I have ample Purell at work and I use it. But there is no protection against the airborne stuff, the coughing and sneezing are deadly.
We had a woman come in last week, she was incredibly sick. Coughing and sneezing. What an idiot. Stay the fuck home.
The bottom line, it's an act of incredible selfishness. Deal with your fear of missing work and don't make others pay a price for your fear.
I hate this behavior.
But this is more about people who have the time & refuse to use it. Those people suck.
I have ample Purell at work and I use it. But there is no protection against the airborne stuff, the coughing and sneezing are deadly.
Especially with the virulent strain that's getting everyone sick cause it's not in the flu shot.
That strain is HIGHLY contagious and can be caught by just breathing an infected person's "air" in,
I manage a team of 20 people, all of us can work remote as needed. I tell them all the time to stay home if they are sick because we run as project teams and if you come in and get everyone sick, then you've taken the whole team out. If they can work then great. And if they are too sick to work with the flu and are knocked on their ass, it is what it is. They have PTO in place to use for sick days too.
Nobody ever said Michael Scott was the epitome of a "good boss", except maybe Michael Scott.
Bring in a can of Lysol and spray the hell out of her work space before she gets in, or after she leaves and leave a thing of hand sanitizer on her desk.
Most workplaces are poorly cleaned and not disinfected. I always keep a thing of lysol wipes in a drawer to wipe all surfaces, especially shared phones or keyboards.
I spent a decade in defense and that’s certainly an industry that isn’t always accommodating - very heavy day to day grind as they push their inefficiency down to contractors in the form of irreponsible timelines. I recall any number of winter afternoons home with a screaming infant/toddler with a stomach bug, ear infection, etc as I was pushing out a huge volume of proposals and sitting on reviews - forced to just let them cry. Big reason (among many) why I got out. The GM who was hired right before I left actually eliminated telecommuting.
My wife works in pharma and it’s the polar opposite. Her company is actually shrinking its brick and mortar footprint because at any given time office space is only 1/3 occupied from all the people who work remote but have office space. Made it a nightmare trying to understand supply and demand for space when they’d go through acq/divest/reorg. So they went to a system of “neighborhoods” where only VP and above get offices and organizations get an open cube farm where they squat as needed. Of course they overlooked the side effect of accelerating the spread of germs and such that having however many different people use a phone/keyboard in a cube in a given week.....her area had the same level of flu outbreak last year..
A few weeks back I had the flu, and knew it was coming because my daughter had it. As soon as the signs hit, I asked to work from home and did so for a week. I was well enough to continue working and not burn days, but did not want to infect the office.
Unfortunately, though, I ride the bus and subway every day, so I'm sure I'm around people forcing themselves in through sickness. I can't believe I've been healthy all winter. I really can't believe it.
I am tired of people who have to leave early, can't come in, come in late because their child is sick, needs to be picked up from day care etc...
I am married, have two kids but I don't have this option. Why? Because my wife doesn't work.
So who is stuck working late? me
Who catches the big complicated projects? me
With everything that I cover right now, I couldn't just get up and leave in the middle of the afternoon cause my kid has an issue at daycare.
Now, I am not talking about hourly jobs. I am talking about careers where there is a expectation of ownership of your work. You are a salaried employee, expected to complete your work. I am talking about director level positions.
.
Just have to vent
I am tired of people who have to leave early, can't come in, come in late because their child is sick, needs to be picked up from day care etc...
I am married, have two kids but I don't have this option. Why? Because my wife doesn't work.
So who is stuck working late? me
Who catches the big complicated projects? me
With everything that I cover right now, I couldn't just get up and leave in the middle of the afternoon cause my kid has an issue at daycare.
Now, I am not talking about hourly jobs. I am talking about careers where there is a expectation of ownership of your work. You are a salaried employee, expected to complete your work. I am talking about director level positions.
.
Just have to vent
There is that Puritan work ethic.
Maybe it's time for you to tell your bosses that your circumstances changed and your wife went back to work. Then once in a while you have to pull the same thing (sick kids, daycare pickup, etc.) If that's the office culture why are you fighting it? Play by the rules that have been set don't be a hero
OR...
Use the fact that you are a better employee than these others as leverage and get yourself PAID for it and a promotion.
But this is more about people who have the time & refuse to use it. Those people suck.
I agree with what you are saying, and I do use PTO when I am sick. But I just feel like people in general do not want to use their paid time off to sit at home with the Flu. They would rather use the paid time off they have for vacations and such. It is selfish, but it is reality.
My wife will go back to work soon. But it will be a job where she has the flexibility to run out to the kids if needed.
My point is that you can not just leave because you have to pick up your sick kid when you have a lot of responsibilty at work. I am not at the director level, just below.
If your job carries a lot of responsibility, then you should not run out a couple times a week cause your kid has the sniffles at daycare.
Answer this question.
You have a difficult project to give someone. You have two candidates, both qualified. One has to leave once or twice a week or take a personal day due to child/daycare issues and the other is there all the time.
Who do you think is given the project?
My wife will go back to work soon. But it will be a job where she has the flexibility to run out to the kids if needed.
My point is that you can not just leave because you have to pick up your sick kid when you have a lot of responsibilty at work. I am not at the director level, just below.
If your job carries a lot of responsibility, then you should not run out a couple times a week cause your kid has the sniffles at daycare.
Answer this question.
You have a difficult project to give someone. You have two candidates, both qualified. One has to leave once or twice a week or take a personal day due to child/daycare issues and the other is there all the time.
Who do you think is given the project?
I'd like to meet the person who takes a PTO day once a week. I've never seen that before.
Mandatory flu shots (if you're in a job where you come into contact with anyone else).
I'd like to meet the person who takes a PTO day once a week. I've never seen that before.
Over time, what happens is that the folks that have the added family responsibilities are give work that more suits their schedule. I can't give so and so this project because they will have to travel, work late, come in early, have a lot of responsibility. Why hire them?
And you know what, it is hard out there right now. So maybe you shoudl step up your game and not let the child care issues impact you.
I now own the business and have young parents on staff. I wouldn't feel right if I penalized them for being attentive parents. I find it builds a mutual loyalty. They respect the job (and me) and I respect them for being responsible parents as well as dedicated employees. Their time is always made up even though I NEVER ask them to. There have been times I would go in on a weekend and one of them would be in catching up on the work. Had I not seen them I'm sure they would not even have told me.
Luckily, I think that most people, even those with parental or whatever, responsibilities, also have some sense of personal responsibility, so I think the concern isn't as great as you think. Short periods can generally be covered or made up.
As far as my wife. She handles the kids during the day. She is a stay at home mother until the youngest starts 1st grade. Then she will get a job where if she has to leave, the impact is minimal on her company.
Folks take jobs that have heavy responsibility but because they have kids, we should all just understand when they have to leave or cannot take on certain jobs because of their kids?
As far as my wife. She handles the kids during the day. She is a stay at home mother until the youngest starts 1st grade. Then she will get a job where if she has to leave, the impact is minimal on her company.
Folks take jobs that have heavy responsibility but because they have kids, we should all just understand when they have to leave or cannot take on certain jobs because of their kids?
Pics of the wife???
Pics of the wife???
Here is a recent one.
I am at the Director level and have people across the globe reporting to me, my wife also has a very demanding job that doesn't support remote work (mine does to a point). I also have 3 kids and while it doesn't happen often there are times I need to leave unexpectedly to address an at home situation (maybe 4 times a year, knock on wood).
Fortunately my bosses (and team) knows that I will put in the extra hours in the evening to compensate leaving early. I dont need to specifically mention this to my boss that I'm working at night, it's understood. I also have the same expectation with the people that report into me.
If deliverables slip I'll address asap and keep all those informed proactively but fortunately this rarely (if ever) has happened.
I'm grateful for the flexibility that my company affords me, my work life balance and time with my family is of significant importance to me, but so is having a career. I also consider myself fortunate that we don't work together.
Seems folks want it both ways. Don't want to sacrifice and want to get ahead while someone else carries their weight.
I do spend a lot of time with my kids. I wish I could spend more time but I have to sacrifice at work.
As a manager, how many of you have made a decision based on an employees personal life. I have and it happens all the time. Kids are a choice, not a company obligation, especially when they are paying you 100k+
OK I'm done here. Keep well.
As a manager, how many of you have made a decision based on an employees personal life. I have and it happens all the time. Kids are a choice, not a company obligation, especially when they are paying you 100k+
Completely disagree with your take on this. I own a company and worked in Corporate America for 15 years in 100k+ jobs. When I hire I actually look for professionals that talk about balance and the importance of their family above work. I understand from that they prioritize their life and then make sound decisions in prioritizing tasks to complete their job. I also know that I'm not getting a "yes man" and someone who will work hard to support their priority. I think starting from that point of respect and honesty means that you create a work environment that has true ownership thinking, buy-in and longevity.
Typical day is leave at 7am. Work 8:15 to about 6:15. Get home 7:30. SOmetimes cook dinner, sometimes wife cooks or we both do it. Eat dinner around 8. Kids go to bed around 9:15. Not the best situation and sometimes it is better and sometimes they are in bed when I get home.
Once we have put them to bed, I usually get back on my computer and work for another hour or two.
Many companies, mainly upper and middle mgmt are fucking paranoid and short sighted. There's no reason why most people couldn't work from home whenever they want let alone once in a blue moon.
Sometimes it's fair to blame the employee, but in most cases it's the culture that is to blame.
[Or possibly, I was just too lazy to work when I had a perfectly good reason to stay home.]
Of course, I didn't have a lot of the other posters' issues. My office had a door and I could keep sick co-workers at arm's length. I also drove to and from work.
My only regret is that I didn't put a recliner in my office. A fifteen minute break on a recliner would have been heaven and would have greatly improved my productivity (unless sick people came into my office to take a rest in my recliner.)
Many companies, mainly upper and middle mgmt are fucking paranoid and short sighted. There's no reason why most people couldn't work from home whenever they want let alone once in a blue moon.
Sometimes it's fair to blame the employee, but in most cases it's the culture that is to blame.
Maybe you should get back to work since you're so important?
The current environment of the market does not afford people the luxuries of having 1 working adult in the family. The cost of living is so high in most places, that $100k job in a single house hold might not even get it done. I think plenty of people would like the option of having at least 1 parent home, but most can't afford this. They are doing the best with what they have.
I have some free time today because I have a large cost model I have to put together and it will take several hours un-interrupted. So I am pacing myself since I will have to have to work late anyway.
This is the first year I spoke up to superiors and told then I wouldn't meet with them if they were coughing and hacking up a lung. Said plain and simple, there is a nationwide flu problem, I have young kids, and trying to minimize my exposure.
It was well received, and the sick person went home.
The theme that I’m seeing is people saying that if you’re truly in a role where you can’t make the same work/life balance choices that your alleged “peers” can, then they aren’t really your peers, and you’re underpaid and under-appreciated.
bigbluehoya : 2:39 pm : link : reply
What’s disappointing about the responses here (on the whole)?
What is disappointing is no one realizing what I'm doing, word for word.
BBIers ain't as sharp as they used to be. :(
Quote:
Filth
bigbluehoya : 2:39 pm : link : reply
What’s disappointing about the responses here (on the whole)?
What is disappointing is no one realizing what I'm doing, word for word.
BBIers ain't as sharp as they used to be. :(
I realized it pos
Well done.
And here I was thinking “it’s really unlike Filthy to act like a little cunt about something like this”.
I'm late to this thread but I'm having trouble understanding your attitude. Are you saying you get stuck with extra work because your peers take time off ? If so isn't that a issue you need to take up with your manager rather than railing on BBI ? Where do you even find people who don't have family obligations ? I suppose you can hire kids, but that creates its own set of problems. You can hire 50 somethings that don't have young children, but that also has its own set of problems including aging parents or ailing spouses.
Reading between the lines here I suspect that your company is a horrible place to work and people are using any excuse to minimize their time there. If they have families and/or young children they have a ready made excuse to leave early or not come in. You, on the other hand have no such excuse and you resent it.
Quote:
.
I'm late to this thread but I'm having trouble understanding your attitude. Are you saying you get stuck with extra work because your peers take time off ? If so isn't that a issue you need to take up with your manager rather than railing on BBI ? Where do you even find people who don't have family obligations ? I suppose you can hire kids, but that creates its own set of problems. You can hire 50 somethings that don't have young children, but that also has its own set of problems including aging parents or ailing spouses.
Reading between the lines here I suspect that your company is a horrible place to work and people are using any excuse to minimize their time there. If they have families and/or young children they have a ready made excuse to leave early or not come in. You, on the other hand have no such excuse and you resent it.
The only thing worse than not getting the joke is replying after said joke has already been revealed.
Many companies, mainly upper and middle mgmt are fucking paranoid and short sighted. There's no reason why most people couldn't work from home whenever they want let alone once in a blue moon.
Sometimes it's fair to blame the employee, but in most cases it's the culture that is to blame.
Totally agree re: culture. Sounds like in Filthy's situation the problem isn't so much the other person but the managers who have created an inconsistent culture. Some people are less accountable than others and the people picking up more of the slack aren't recognized for it.
Bleach the entire house after a family norovirus outbreak...I still got sick weeks later.
People are contagious before and after having symptoms. While you can certainly minimize the risk, ideally you would need to stay home a solid week per sickness in order to not be contagious.
Seems folks want it both ways. Don't want to sacrifice and want to get ahead while someone else carries their weight.
I do spend a lot of time with my kids. I wish I could spend more time but I have to sacrifice at work.
Agree - you need to put in the time to be successful. Time for the family is great and needed but monetary support is needed more.