Gen Z is actually taking sick days, unlike their older coworkers. It’s redefining the workplace

The argument against sick days is fucking bonkers to me. You want people to come in and get the rest of the office sick?? One of the many many reasons I prefer working from home.

I worked really hard at my first year at a big company and didn't take any sick days. During my performance review, I scored 4/5 for attendance, even though I arrived early for every shift and did every overtime opportunity. When I asked my manager, she said it's policy not to hand out 5's because it sends the message that there's no room for improvement.

No one could tell me how I could improve my attendance.

Surgical tech here. We have a couple boomer nurses (nurses... y'know... people who've taken microbiology and made it through nursing school... FUCK!) who think coming in to work when they're sick is some kind of display of godlike work ethic.

One of those fuckers came in with a stomach flu or some shit last fall, and proceeded to infect pretty much the entire department and who knows how many patients.

We had so many call-ins through the following week or so, that we literally had to cancel a TON of surgeries because we just didn't have the staff to do them.

Good job, Nurse Karen. You really are a rockstar for sucking it up and coming in even when you didn't feel good... all it cost was stabbing your entire team in the stomach, costing the hospital probably a few hundred thousand in lost revenue (then again, that shit should be free anyway, so, honestly fuck the hospital), and maybe killed a patient or two after coming to us when their body is already fucked to the point of needing to cut it open to fix something - yeah they don't have the same immune system we do.

Shit pisses me off. If you're sick, stay the fuck at home!

Is this something I'm too European to understand?

I love how this comic was underneath for me

https://lemmy.ml/post/19672635

From my experience, it is everyone, regardless of age. COVID changed things.

I really wish companies would realize workers are more productive when they can take time to take care of their mental and physical health.

Stressed out, overwhelmed, and exhausted people naturally make more mistakes, and mistakes cost money. You'd think they'd understand this because...well... profits?

But no, a bunch of sociopaths Machiavellianed their way to the top of companies and seem to enjoy making their workers miserable while claiming profits are the motivation for horrible sick leave policies.

The US is fucking awful about this shit. I really hope it changes soon.

Still so crazy to me how there are limited "sick days" in the US. You shouldnt need to take limited days off when you are sick. If you are sick you are sick.

Heck, I'm a millenial and I take mental break days when I'm feeling too overwhelmed.

Damn you people in the default country are insane.

I only know the world where everyone takes paid sick days. And usually it's more like a week.

Maybe you should rename the community into "Work Reform USA"?

My former boss always said, if you're sick, take a day more off. Would be a problem if half the company got sick.

It's in europe tho. Has it swapt over finally?

Company has no loyalty at all to the employee. I could let go every day that I go to work. It's not a question of if, but when I will be let go. So, as a consequence, I must ask myself the question: After quitting the game, will I regret sacrificing my health for yet another company?

Older coworker here (Xennial). I've always used all of my sick days. One job had a week you could carry over to the next year. I held that week if I didn't need it because next year I'd be making more money. Next job started with sick bank but stripped it away and lumped everything into one PTO bucket that they weren't legally bound to offer carryover from. Oddly enough, they started having trouble with attendance in November and December as people just took days off whenever. Oh well.

Every single day it seems like there's an article describing how thing is redefining the workplace.

Between the younger generation and COVID redefining the acceptability of coming to work sick, the workplace does look a lot better.

Every company I have worked for has explicitly encouraged using sick days. Specifically so the person doesn’t bring whatever bug into the office and sharing it around, causing multiple people to get sick and take time off

I'm a manager and it infuriates me when I hear someone bragging about not talking sick days and coming in when they aren't feeling well. Even before the pandemic that seemed pretty stupid and I argued against it. How anyone still thinks it's a good idea is beyond me. If you want or need to work, fine, do it from home. Don't come in and make other people have to deal with being sick.

It's especially stupid where I am because sick time is discretionary by manager, and there's no cap. So it's not like anyone is going to run out of it.

How does it work in the US? Do you have a limited amount of sick days? It sounds like it in every article I read about it... Or is this dependent on the employer?

I don't get paid sick time I can use my PTO. Would I rather be sick and miserable at work(in which my day already sucks)and be paid and using my rest and relaxation time for something I want or do I use one of my 10 PTO days and cancel my vacation I may have already booked since I only have 10 days off a year 2-3 days I have to use for federal holidays since I don't get paid off since I am contracted with the bank but my company doesn't pay me for the holiday.

My vacation days are capped, but my sick days are not. I'll take my sick days when I retire.