General Musings

[Jeff Resnick]

What's with folk having qualms about taking sick days? I've never seen the problem with pulling one if I'm feeling shite, or just can't be arsed. Got pals that wouldn't take one if they were going through chemo.

Depends on your workplace's sickness procedure. My current work has three separate periods of sickness and there's a good chance you go to the next level of monitoring for sickness, if you do that. In that time, you're not allowed to be off sick (unless for an operation or some such) in the next 12 months or you run the risk of dismissal. This is, of course, dependent on your boss and if you think you are 'at it'. Its meant to rid the workplace of timewasters but it usually affects those who work their arses off, would rather come in than not (due to be shit scared of the procedures) and then end up being off because it all catches up with them in the end.

[PHOODLE-OUt]

Why? Never understood that. I did when I worked in service, where if I was off, arranged or not, someone else has to cover me. I get why you wouldn't want to put someone out. But in an office, where no one has to pick up your slack, why wouldn't you take time off?

I like to keep busy tbh, taking time off to do nothing or hang about the house doesn't appeal to me. Other than Monday mornings I genuinely don't mind being at work

[Cheeky Gnando’s]

Some folk have that guilt and others are just pure control freaks who can't bear the thought of missing out on any chat or someone possibly covering their work for a day (possibly as they know they are hiding crippling incompetence). Hate it when someone is stoating about spreading their vile germs about the place.

I've not had a sick day in about 4 years, but that's more down to a top notch immune system and a higher resistance to bugs through being around smelly kids all day - no issues calling in sick if I feel like shit. I wouldn't call in sick because I couldn't be arsed with work that day tbh - just seems a childish thing to do. Used to pull sickies when I was 17 and working in Sainsbury's; if you hate your job enough to pretend you're ill, get a new job.

[Roger H. Sterling]

Some folk have that guilt and others are just pure control freaks who can't bear the thought of missing out on any chat or someone possibly covering their work for a day (possibly as they know they are hiding crippling incompetence). Hate it when someone is stoating about spreading their vile germs about the place.

I've not had a sick day in about 4 years, but that's more down to a top notch immune system and a higher resistance to bugs through being around smelly kids all day - no issues calling in sick if I feel like shit. I wouldn't call in sick because I couldn't be arsed with work that day tbh - just seems a childish thing to do. Used to pull sickies when I was 17 and working in Sainsbury's; if you hate your job enough to pretend you're ill, get a new job.

Never considered the control freak angle. I've no issue taking a day if I'm genuinely ill, it's pretty much encouraged. I've had times where I felt crap, but could easily go to work, but decided to just ham it up and not. I've never had the dread of going to my job, it's more a dread of doing anything other staying in my bed.

[Walter Sobchak]

Why? Never understood that. I did when I worked in service, where if I was off, arranged or not, someone else has to cover me. I get why you wouldn't want to put someone out. But in an office, where no one has to pick up your slack, why wouldn't you take time off?

I'd imagine that in most offices someone does have to take your slack. Most folk have a wee bit of respect for their colleagues. Nothing worse than a skiving type who is off at the merest hint of a cough and way too many mondays for it to be coincidence. Also absolute hell if you are running a business. Obviously if someone is actually ill and has a bad bug then they should be staying off, absolutely. Total disrespect to be pulling sickies though.

[Cheeky Gnando’s]

Never considered the control freak angle. I've no issue taking a day if I'm genuinely ill, it's pretty much encouraged. I've had times where I felt crap, but could easily go to work, but decided to just ham it up and not. I've never had the dread of going to my job, it's more a dread of doing anything other staying in my bed.

Defo is a thing, I'd say. People can't handle other folk potentially being in their work space, so will stay in work when they shouldn't to retain that control. I have to say I can sympathise to an extent after I went on a trip at the end of last term, and came back to find my boss had been going into all the rooms on the department moving and shredding stuff - still have no idea where a lot of my resources are

[Mr A]

What sort of job are you doing that nobody has to pick up your slack if you're not there?

My last work was a nightmare - if somebody called in sick their name would be mud all day 'skiving so and so' etc - but if you came into work when you felt rank then they would bitch and moan about spreading germs.

I have had 2.5 sick days in the last 5 years. I hate calling in sick.

[Roger H. Sterling]

I'd imagine that in most offices someone does have to take your slack. Most folk have a wee bit of respect for their colleagues. Nothing worse than a skiving type who is off at the merest hint of a cough  and way too many mondays for it to be coincidence. Also absolute hell if you are running a business. Obviously if someone is actually ill and has a bad bug then they should be staying off, absolutely. Total disrespect to be pulling sickies though.

I can only relate to when I worked in a cafe. If I was off sick they'd be fucked and I'd not get paid. Not much incentive to do it. As I said, I would never out someone else out because I couldn't be fucked with the day. But a job that isn't shared and the worst that happens is I have to do a bit extra work when I get back. Don't see a problem.

What sort of job are you doing that nobody has to pick up your slack if you're not there?

My last work was a nightmare - if somebody called in sick their name would be mud all day 'skiving so and so' etc - but if you came into work when you felt rank then they would bitch and moan about spreading germs.

I have had 2.5 sick days in the last 5 years. I hate calling in sick.

One with little to no responsibility I guess. That or project based where each person has their own role. My mate that I'm referring to is a Web developer for a design company for example. He's the only Web dev. If he's off, people don't start coding for him.

[Walter Sobchak]

Defo is a thing, I'd say. People can't handle other folk potentially being in their work space, so will stay in work when they shouldn't to retain that control. I have to say I can sympathise to an extent after I went on a trip at the end of last term, and came back to find my boss had been going into all the rooms on the department moving and shredding stuff - still have no idea where a lot of my resources are

Pure seethe this one. I've got a colleague who comes in at the weekends, every weekend, as he "has so much work to do." He's actually work-addicted and so when he comes in he's done that many hours already that he is achieving nothing. No way you can actually efficiently work if you're doing 12-14 hour days, 5 days and then coming in on weekends. He obviously just wanders about the office investigating stuff and pulling things out of place, and fucking around with shit.

You'll come in on a monday and he's pulled everything out of order, taken sheets away, taken payment docs and invoices away which go missing for weeks, then suddenly reappear on your desk a month later after an irate call demanding payment, and he has the cheek to claim he knows nothing about it. Cunt put a letter from March in my mail the other week and then sent an email about it saying he had "come across it" in my papers. The cheek of it.

[Fire Doinks]

Aye, in my last office if someone was off sick it was a case of making sure their phone is forwarded to someone and getting IT to stick an out of office on their e-mail. Then if they had daily duties it's making sure whoever had the least on covered it.

I abused this to fuck and did quite a lot of "remote working" which basically involved me smoking fat joints and logging in to my virtual desktop every hour or so to make sure nothing I'd get bollocked for went unnoticed.

[Fire Doinks]

Pure seethe this one. I've got a colleague who comes in at the weekends, every weekend, as he "has so much work to do." He's actually work-addicted and so when he comes in he's done that many hours already that he is achieving nothing. No way you can actually efficiently work if you're doing 12-14 hour days, 5 days and then coming in on weekends. He obviously just wanders about the office investigating stuff and pulling things out of place, and fucking around with shit.

You'll come in on a monday and he's pulled everything out of order, taken sheets away, taken payment docs and invoices away which go missing for weeks, then suddenly reappear on your desk a month later after an irate call demanding payment, and he has the cheek to claim he knows nothing about it. Cunt put a letter from March in my mail the other week and then sent an email about it saying he had "come across it" in my papers. The cheek of it.

Angling for a promotion, that boy. Shame, because it's usually the dull cunts that do stuff like that and never get it.

[Roger H. Sterling]

Dank knows. I've also got the option of remote work. I don't take that too often, I'd rather just be off. Reckon I've had 6 sick days this year. 2 of which were justified.

[Roger H. Sterling]

The I've got so much to do types are worse than the skivers imo. I worked in an office that basically bred these people. Desperate to prove how hard they worked by being first in in the morning and last out at night. Just proves their time management was shit. Every evening was like a game of chicken because no cunt wanted to be first out the door. It was always me.

[Johnny]

I'm hardly ever off sick. In the job I'm in now (7 years), I've only been off a handful of times, easily less than 10, and ALL of them were for being hungover. Jobs in the past were just stop gaps so had a fair few in those ones

You office lads have it easy as fuck btw, you don't even realize it. The end of the weekend thread is a right laugh, fucking dreading going into a cushty wee office job

My work doesn't have sick pay. If you're off, you don't get paid. As it should be imo, unless you're off long term then aye, but you shouldn't get paid for taking a cheeky Monday or that There's hardly ever anyone off at my work. Only time you see it is if folk have a bit of overtime logged up and that can cover any lost wages

I kind of see the control freak angle, does my nut in knowing some arsehole will be on my machine. See when all your stuff starts going walk about, its nippy as fuck

[Mr A]

Doing long hours is only good if your producing work that accounts for you being there that long.

If you're doing 12 hour days and weekends but doing no more work than the guy working normal hours it just makes you look like an inefficient incompetent.

[PHOODLE-OUt]

I'm last out the building every night at the back of 6 (you could nearly be last out at 16:31 tbf ) and work And go in most Saturday mornings and work in the evenings from home. Good for the career and great for the bank balance.

[Zizou]

I'm last out the building every night at the back of 6 (you could nearly be last out at 16:31 tbf ) and work And go in most Saturday mornings and work in the evenings from home. Good for the career and great for the bank balance.

Sounds good mate

[Johnny]

I'm last out the building every night at the back of 6 (you could nearly be last out at 16:31 tbf ) and work And go in most Saturday mornings and work in the evenings from home. Good for the career and great for the bank balance.

^^^ Hates his wife and kids ^^^^

[Roger H. Sterling]

I'm last out the building every night at the back of 6 (you could nearly be last out at 16:31 tbf ) and work And go in most Saturday mornings and work in the evenings from home. Good for the career and great for the bank balance.

To what end? Like, what's the point in that? Sounds utterly horrific.

[Mikey]

You office lads have it easy as fuck btw, you don't even realize it. The end of the weekend thread is a right laugh, fucking dreading going into a cushty wee office job

Your job hardly sounds like the Battle of the Somme.