Man flu

[Jurgen the German]

I know you're joking but men have poorer health outcomes than women across the board, get injured more and die younger than women partly because of this kind of attitude.

I'm not sure your boss will thank you either if you go into work and infect all of your co-workers, thereby plummeting all of your productivities

I see where you're coming from as men generally put off going to the doctors and soldiering on through illness/pain. But a cold is completely different, nobody likes getting colds, but it doesn't debilitate you to the extent that you need time off work for it.

 

[elltrev]

I see where you're coming from as men generally put off going to the doctors and soldiering on through illness/pain. But a cold is completely different, nobody likes getting colds, but it doesn't debilitate you to the extent that you need time off work for it.

Even if it doesn't debilitate you a) it reduces your produtivity, b) working through it probably makes you slower to fully recover and c) working through it makes it more likely that everyone else will get it too.

Don't understand people's problem with taking a day off work when you're ill - we already work some of the longest hours in the developed world, what's wrong with taking a tiny bit of time off when you're genuinely ill (i.e. not hungover) and feeling like ****?

 

[Jurgen the German]

Even if it doesn't debilitate you a) it reduces your produtivity, b) working through it probably makes you slower to fully recover and c) working through it makes it more likely that everyone else will get it too.

Don't understand people's problem with taking a day off work when you're ill - we already work some of the longest hours in the developed world, what's wrong with taking a tiny bit of time off when you're genuinely ill (i.e. not hungover) and feeling like ****?

The only arguement that's valid IMO for taking a day off because of it is because your employer does not want you to pass it on to other members of staff. I get between 2-4 colds every year like everyone else, and I feel lousy for the first couple of days, I just feel I'm letting people at work down by taking a day off, that's just me.

 

[DHSF]

The only arguement that's valid IMO for taking a day off because of it is because your employer does not want you to pass it on to other members of staff. I get between 2-4 colds every year like everyone else, and I feel lousy for the first couple of days, I just feel I'm letting people at work down by taking a day off, that's just me.

I see where you are coming from about letting people down but a) its your health and b) you are looking after their health by not passing it on. I an work from home so i can always work from home when sick rarely do I need to call and say im sick therefore no work.

Elltrev's reasoning is correct though - especially the fact that I work over 20 hrs extra a week (thats just under three extra days worth of work) - so im ****ing entitled to a day or two off sick if I feel like it.

 

[elltrev]

The only arguement that's valid IMO for taking a day off because of it is because your employer does not want you to pass it on to other members of staff. I get between 2-4 colds every year like everyone else, and I feel lousy for the first couple of days, I just feel I'm letting people at work down by taking a day off, that's just me.

Fair enough, sounds like you've got a good work ethic. What job do you do, out of curiosity? If you not being work increase others' workload, I can understand where you're coming from. (If I have a day off it just means more work for me when I come back - it dioesn't really impact on other people).

 

[Jurgen the German]

Fair enough, sounds like you've got a good work ethic. What job do you do, out of curiosity? If you not being work increase others' workload, I can understand where you're coming from. (If I have a day off it just means more work for me when I come back - it dioesn't really impact on other people).

Pensions mate. I see your point of view if being off doesn't impact your colleagues.

 

[Klinsmania]

I know you're joking but men have poorer health outcomes than women across the board, get injured more and die younger than women partly because of this kind of attitude.

I'm not sure your boss will thank you either if you go into work and infect all of your co-workers, thereby plummeting all of your productivities

Actually I'm not joking. People who take days off sick with a cold or because they're feeling a bit rough should be ashamed of themselves. If I have a cold, I make sure I wash my hands more often than normal, use antibacterial hand gels, sneeze into tissues, wipe down taps after using them etc, to avoid spreading germs. If people just got on with it then productivity wouldn't suffer because even if I did infect anyone else, they'd man up and continue to do their jobs anyway which is what they should be doing.

 

[DHSF]

Actually I'm not joking. People who take days off sick with a cold or because they're feeling a bit rough should be ashamed of themselves. If I have a cold, I make sure I wash my hands more often than normal, use antibacterial hand gels, sneeze into tissues, wipe down taps after using them etc, to avoid spreading germs. If people just got on with it then productivity wouldn't suffer because even if I did infect anyone else, they'd man up and continue to do their jobs anyway which is what they should be doing.

That is such a blanket statement.

What if youre a nurse? you could infect patients? Youre on the tube with a cold and germs etc and you infect someone who works with patients? a doctor perhaps? knock on effects?

Ultimately everyone will get a cold/flu etc etc etc... there are some who take the biscuit i.e. four or five days off but there are some who take a day off or two which can at times be a necessity - not about being high and mighty and courageous its about being sensible.

 

[Papercut]

Having a cold is not just about the sniffles - it affects people differently. I rarely get them but when I do, I am feverish and my joints ache. My work is bonkersly fast-paced (as they cut our team down but the work stayed the same). I just wouldn't and couldn't operate - it's difficult enough when I'm fit and ready! In addition, why be a hero? you think businesses give a ****e when they go through restructure and are ready to make you redundant? They don't think "oh look at John Doe there, isn't he a great worker - we'll keep him and take the **** because he will never go off sick...

The body is telling you it needs a rest, listen to it. Of course as some have mentioned - don't take the p1ss, that is also true.

I've recently been off with a heavy cold, guess how I probably caught it... a few heroes with colds coming in and me having to share small meeting rooms with them... I then have to keep my distance from family, thanks a bunch!

 

[DHSF]

Having a cold is not just about the sniffles - it affects people differently. I rarely get them but when I do, I am feverish and my joints ache. My work is bonkersly fast-paced (as they cut our team down but the work stayed the same). I just wouldn't and couldn't operate - it's difficult enough when I'm fit and ready! In addition, why be a hero? you think businesses give a ****e when they go through restructure and are ready to make you redundant? They don't think "oh look at John Doe there, isn't he a great worker - we'll keep him and take the **** because he will never go off sick...

The body is telling you it needs a rest, listen to it. Of course as some have mentioned - don't take the p1ss, that is also true.

I've recently been off with a heavy cold, guess how I probably caught it... a few heroes with colds coming in and me having to share small meeting rooms with them... I then have to keep my distance from family, thanks a bunch!

To be honest I dont see a problem.

Your employer doesnt see it as a problem when you work ****load more hours than your 40 a week(yet pays you for 40), so why should you play johnny big balls by coming in when you are 'ill' and risk not only infecting others but further hindering yourself.

 

[Klinsmania]

That is such a blanket statement.

What if youre a nurse? you could infect patients? Youre on the tube with a cold and germs etc and you infect someone who works with patients? a doctor perhaps? knock on effects? Ultimately everyone will get a cold/flu etc etc etc... there are some who take the biscuit i.e. four or five days off but there are some who take a day off or two which can at times be a necessity - not about being high and mighty and courageous its about being sensible.

Yes, that I agree with, but the majority on here are office based, hence the ability to sit and post all day. I think people who do manual labour, and people who work with the sick or the elderly should have course stay away if they are too ill. I'm talking about people who do office/computer work. I work in insurance, and being ill doesn't affect my ability to do my job. My brain still functions, I can still type, I can still read contracts etc, so me being ill makes no difference to how I perform, other than I just feel a bit ****. I don't wish to generalise and tar everyone with the same brush, but I think for the majority of office workers there is never any reason to take time off with a cold.

 

[Danners9]

To be honest I dont see a problem.

Your employer doesnt see it as a problem when you work ****load more hours than your 40 a week(yet pays you for 40), so why should you play johnny big balls by coming in when you are 'ill' and risk not only infecting others but further hindering yourself.

My company encourages people to be off if they are genuinely sick. They don't want people coming in at 50% and making a mistake. We have billion-dollar companies as clients and one mistake can be very costly. The air conditioning system seems to make a lot of people sick, one person gets ill and then everyone gets it.. great. If that one person was off, maybe we wouldn't be?

I get bored at home, anyway. After one day I want to come back to work and being bored at home makes it less likely I will take days off for the sake of it.

 

[DHSF]

Yes, that I agree with, but the majority on here are office based, hence the ability to sit and post all day. I think people who do manual labour, and people who work with the sick or the elderly should have course stay away if they are too ill. I'm talking about people who do office/computer work. I work in insurance, and being ill doesn't affect my ability to do my job. My brain still functions, I can still type, I can still read contracts etc, so me being ill makes no difference to how I perform, other than I just feel a bit ****. I don't wish to generalise and tar everyone with the same brush, but I think for the majority of office workers there is never any reason to take time off with a cold.

There is a difference between having a slight cough, which shouldnt affect your ability to come into work, and when youre sneezing all over the place, eyes watery, body aches, headaches, and runny nose etc whilst its not terminal it is not pleasant to be in the company of nor is it pleasant for you.

I think youre mistaking people who cant be bothered to come into work (theyre the ****ty types) and the people who normally come into work but take the odd day for sickness. Most people make up the type anyway as workload would still be there. Most people work more than enough hours to warrant taking a day or two off sick when theyre GENUINELY sick.

Danners - I agree, I encourage people in my team to take sick leave because id rather have one person off than end up having ten people off at different times in two or three weeks.