WHEN it comes to staff taking time off sick at work, I encounter all different types as a manager, including those who seemingly never get sick, to those who do but try to battle through. In that regard, I do not set the best example, as I don't think I've had a day off sick since the Wellington waterfront strike. I'm a battler.
I'm lucky in that I work in an industry where one can be somewhat fatalistic - which is a heck of a lot better than working in an industry where what you do doesn't matter that much. A paper will always be produced, and thus the outcome of my day is predetermined.
With a newspaper's fate already set anyway, it is best to be sensible about sickness, especially as we've now been told to expect to be hit by the South Island flu virus once we get through the North Island one. I also get the sense that the casual "sickie", another word for having a cheeky day off work, isn't so prevalent these days. It could just be that I'm spoiled in working with a small team in Wairarapa, because small teams do hang on a bit longer. I can remember my public service years in Wellington, with vast workforces, with people taking sick days long before they started spluttering and coughing. It didn't matter much if someone was away.
Not too long back, there was this insistence on doctor's notes for sick days, I'm guessing to prevent malingerers. It continues as policy for many organisations. It always seems a bit heavy to require them, because sickness - especially in winter - is part of the human condition, and I sometimes wonder at the sense of requiring a sick note from a doctor who is simply going to confirm you've got a cold. It seems like a waste of time to me. Having said that, if you've got the flu, a doctor is an essential port of call.
If you're debating whether stay at home or go to work when you're sick, I'll bet you were one of those who had all those "go to school" messages from your parents, and now get hit with the guilts when contemplate making the phone call. But seemingly you don't get the guilts when you infect your workforce? My advice is: your boss knows your workplace best, and would rather not have a very well-meaning employee who is ill and unproductive and spreading germs. Have a rest and get well. The world - and your work - will keep on going.
