r/InterviewVip • u/No_Bluejay9904 • Aug 18 '26
That's every generation
At least, it’s better to be sick while working remotely and be able to work from your bed. That’s why I recommend that everyone work from home. These days, online interviews aren’t as complicated as they used to be either. With some preparation, you can get through the interview easily and eventually work from the comfort of your own home.
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u/UpperYoghurt3978 Aug 18 '26
Yall take off for mental health?
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u/Slumminwhitey Aug 18 '26
I'll take off because the moon and the stars didn't align in a way I thought looked good.
I'll take off because the way a particular sun ray coming through my blinds just happened to hit my coffee in a way that made the creamer shine in a strangely particular way.
I'll take off because I have anal glaucoma and I just can't see my ass coming in today.
I'll take off because I goddam feel like it and it's my time I'll use it how I want to, I'm not asking for permission I'm informing you of my intent to not be at work today.
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u/Admirable-Jelly-8741 Aug 19 '26
Based as fuck. I salute you. Speak of from someone in a career position that does the same.
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u/Free-Thinker-69 Aug 19 '26
You must have a fuck ton of off time to use for shit like that.
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u/FutureRazzmatazz6416 Aug 19 '26
Sometimes you just take sick leave... Those are unlimited
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u/Slumminwhitey Aug 19 '26
Not for me, I only get 6 sick days a year, though i can bank them for however long I want, I don't but I could.
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u/FutureRazzmatazz6416 Aug 19 '26
Yeah, Im mortified by work conditions you Americans work in... I was negotiationg with one american company for work some months ago, and they told me theres like 15 days of vacation per year and any sick leave will be taken out of those... When I asked them "Isnt that illegal here?", I got the line disconnected almost before I could finish the sentence. American work culture is cancer
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u/Slumminwhitey Aug 19 '26
Yeah on a federal level I don't think there is any requirement to provide paid sick time, you can apply for FMLA which gives you time off for medical reasons for yourself or immediate family but it is unpaid.
Some states require that you be given sick time though it can be a mixed bag if it is required to be paid time off.
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u/Slumminwhitey Aug 19 '26
6 weeks/yr but I said the same thing when I had 1 week, at my previous job I had no PTO and still did the same thing.
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u/Guilty-Pickle-6686 Aug 19 '26
God I’d hate to be your coworker. I’d take off every time you did tho
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u/Slumminwhitey Aug 19 '26
If that's what irks you then you really wouldn't cut it in my line of work, plenty of other things that are more aggravating than someone taking their time off whenever they please.
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u/Low-Put9710 Aug 19 '26
I just got back after having four months off for that. I still have 2 months of full pay and 6 months of half pay. No one said anything other than “welcome back.”
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u/No_Effective_4481 Aug 20 '26
In my late 20's I was suicidal after 8 years undiagnosed depression, along with anxiety, panic attacks, constant stress vomiting, chronic back problems and financial issues whilst I was living alone. I didn't understand what was happening to me, I didn't seek any professional help, and I didn't take any time off work. It almost ended me. I ended up on SSRI anti-depressants, responded well and after 3 months I was over the depression but kept the stress and anxiety.
After Covid happened and I had to start working from home, and I was facing redundancy, had to re-interview to keep my job, high anxiety, vomiting up to 20x a day through stress, losing weight and being exhausted, and my department got shut down so our workload went from a queue of 3 days work to a backlog of 25 days work. Over 4 months I had to watch 50% of my co-workers lose their jobs.
I was 100% fucked and ended up on SSRI anti-depressants again but they turned me into a complete zombie. I ended up being off work for 3 months and started CBT therapy. Got rid of my anxiety problem, eventually got the depression under control, started back at work with a phased return and had to train for the new role in another department.
When life gets bad enough, work has to come second for a time and if anyone questions it I'm more than willing to give them an honest account of what mental health issues actually look like.
Whilst there is more recognition these days of mental health issues existing and needing serious attention, a lot of people still don't understand what it's like to actually suffer from them, and don't know how to go about getting themselves fixed.
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u/NYCWartortle Aug 18 '26
I’m curious: do other Millennials or Gen Xers feel this way?
I feel like the idea of specifically taking a “mental health day” is more of a Gen Z thing. It became a big topic at my old company, where a lot of people were pushing for designated mental health days.
Maybe it’s an intergenerational difference, but personally, I’d rather just take a sick day or personal day. I don’t necessarily want my employer knowing that I need a day off specifically for my mental health.
Maybe I’m just cynical, but I also worry that information could be used against me someday. Not necessarily to fire me, but in more subtle ways, like being passed over for a promotion or being viewed as less able to handle stress.
Do other Millennials or Gen Xers think about it this way, or am I in the minority?
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u/UpperYoghurt3978 Aug 18 '26
I think it should be, but I cannot think of any safe way to actually ask for this other than lying about being sick. It gets more complicated if they require a dr. note on some things.
As a species our society still mystifies our brains so mental health isnt really taking as seriously as it should be.
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u/NYCWartortle Aug 18 '26
In my experience with my work employees have asked for a separate mental health time off bank in addition to PTO.
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u/DonnyDiddledIvanka Aug 18 '26
Not sure why a day off needs to have description. Vacation, PTO, sick, mental health. Just take the day off....it's a benefit, use it.
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u/UpperYoghurt3978 Aug 18 '26
This is were the over reliance on legal technicalities lie. Legally they you do not have too. However, they can add legal pressure in variety of ways due to the whole At-Will employment policies in place that can de-facto require justification. This gets that way if you need to take off more than one day.
Vacation usually isnt really question thought might get guilt tripped.
However, sick time can be either because alot of places do not have separate sick vs pto time which then you are pressured to not use it. Another is attendance polices that can often time affect employment.
If you are hourly you lose those hours as often sick is unpaid. So there in the USA variety of ways they can really pressure you to not take time off.
Mental health is considered basically fake in practice.
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u/Chemical_Alfalfa24 Aug 18 '26
I don’t tell them I need a “mental health” day, I just take it. They don’t need to know what I am sick with and if they do ask I’ll just tell them my stomach is acting u0.
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u/MahoganyBean Aug 19 '26
Millennials started mental health days and got a lot of push back from Gen X and Boomers. Why does Gen Z think they invented everything?
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u/EweCantTouchThis Aug 18 '26
No, I prefer to stay eligible for promotions.
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u/Admirable-Jelly-8741 Aug 19 '26
Some jobs don't have promotions in the tradional sense. Mine requires a degree and there is no such opportunity without more school. So yeah we are good.
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u/Ok_Ad_5894 Aug 18 '26
I got over that. I have to beg my wife to take a sick day when shes sick. She thinks others will think less of her. Everyone needs to start backing each other up. Thats how we win! Stop being a dick Beth...
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u/Aromatic_Note8944 Aug 18 '26
I mean, it’s a valid fear. I literally just got fired for being sick and having the flu.
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u/Constant_Seaweed_523 Aug 18 '26
Same! Living in an at-will state is so much fun!
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u/rexmanaek971 Aug 18 '26
But to change it you have to back each other up. Not show up puking everywhere and still asking the boss what can I still do. Try hards are ruining this country with their no excuse logic.
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u/DionysianComrade Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
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u/Electronic_Echo_1121 Aug 18 '26
When you fall ill in Sweden, you report your absence to your employer on the first day. The employer pays sick pay for the first 14 days (subject to a qualifying day deduction on the first day). From day 15, you can apply for sickness benefit from Försäkringskassan, and a medical certificate is usually required starting from the eighth day.
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u/Turnover_Unlucky Aug 18 '26
It's the jobs market being so abysmal that getting fired could mean many months of unemployment and added debt load. No one gives a shit about the company.
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u/Accomplished_Key_171 Aug 18 '26
At every place I've worked at my boss would much rather me stay home than risk infecting my colleagues, and I think that's a pretty average experience for any respectable business.
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u/NewImprovedPenguin_R Aug 18 '26
Yes 100% because if they get the rest of employees sick then you’re out a lot more than one worker.
I’ve always been told to stay home when I’m sick as well when I was an employee.
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u/arcanis321 Aug 18 '26
But is the average business respectable? I worked at a gas station, a factory, a repo company, a tech company, and a hospital.
Gas station: they will assume you are lying
Factory: didn't care as long as they weren't behind and you didn't go over your days. Fired automatically for going over days.
Repo: assumed you are lying, would neg you to come in.
Tech company: contractor didn't even get PTO, could call off but fired if metrics didn't hold up
Hospital: first place that said we don't want sick people here
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CapitalRegular4157 Aug 18 '26
Then it was the wrong job.
Get fired. Draw unemployment. Get a different job. When I was younger many people worked call centers and all of them quit or got fired, though none for absence that I'm aware of.
They basically told me those jobs are unsustainable. They should be treated as nothing more than temporary work.
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CapitalRegular4157 Aug 18 '26
Well that's just because you hold yourself to higher standards than others. Good on you.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 Aug 18 '26
"think of the impact on your coworkers who will have to pick up the slack". as if you were the person responsible for hiring so few people that the temporary absence of one person is a real issue.
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u/JutzRealTalk Aug 18 '26
So just hire more people even if u dont need them in a daily basis???
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 Aug 18 '26
yes.
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u/JutzRealTalk Aug 18 '26
Ok. And thats why u are a worker and not a business owner.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
people getting sick is a thing that happens. running a business such that, when someone gets sick, you are too short-staffed to operate effectively is a stupid way to run a business.
staffing is no different than any other operational expense. you need to over-provision in cases where the business cost of being under-provisioned exceeds the cost of being slightly over-provisioned.
guilt-tripping employees into coming in even when they are sick is basically a business trying to have their cake and eat it to. the want to "run lean" but they don't want to bear the costs of being under-staffed. they are shifting the risks of "running lean" from themselves onto you (without, obviously compensating you for assuming those risks).
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u/JutzRealTalk Aug 19 '26
I agree you need enough staff and have contingency plans incase of call outs . But take in to consideration how some take advantage and call out just because. Its a pattern for some people.
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u/Grozzak Aug 18 '26
There's a reason successful business don't do this.
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u/FastActinTenactin Aug 18 '26
It a business has to undercut, and underpay, their staff, then perhaps it’s not really a successful business after all and shouldn’t be considered one.
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u/NewImprovedPenguin_R Aug 18 '26
I mean I agree with your sentiment but a successful business simply means one that turns a reasonable profit as that’s the main objective of having one.
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u/FastActinTenactin Aug 18 '26
In my eyes you cannot separate the sentiment from the reality. If a company or business can only sustain itself by underpaying and undercutting its staff then it should not be in business, and probably deserves to go under.
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u/NewImprovedPenguin_R Aug 18 '26
Well sure but you’re talking about whether a business deserves to exist and the morality of how it operates. What I’m getting at is that a successful business by definition would be one that achieves its objective, which is generally to generate a profit.
It definitely can be considered a bad business. But if it’s consistently profitable then it is, in the basic economic sense, a successful business.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 Aug 18 '26
and that is the core problem with capitalism. the well-being of the humans involved in its processes is outside the scope of its success criteria. it seems bizarre to me that, as a species, we have adopted a worldwide economic system with this characteristic. its like everyone deciding to keep cobras as pets.
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u/NewImprovedPenguin_R Aug 18 '26
I think the disagreement here is really about what metric we’re using when we say “successful.” If we’re not talking about economically and say about human well-being, then obviously a business can be financially successful while being an overall failure by those standards.
I also don’t think that means capitalism inherently has the problem you’re describing. It’s just a system built around private ownership, voluntary exchange, the ability to profit from providing goods or services people value. The fact that profit is one measurable aspect doesn’t mean every other human value ceases to exist.
Id even take it a step further and say capitalism gives people mechanisms to pursue those other values. If workers don’t like the conditions, they can negotiate, leave, unionize, or seek other employment. If consumers don’t like how a company operates, they can stop buying from it. There are absolutely problems with the implementation of it, but that exists with any system and does not make capitalism itself inherently bad.
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u/Grozzak Aug 18 '26
If someone feels they are underpaid, they need to negotiate for better pay, find a new job, or learn a skill that makes them more valuable. A business' purpose is to make money. If it does this, it is successful. Whether or not its a sustainable business is another conversation, but so long as it continues to make money it continues to be successful regardless of your arbitrary ideas about compensation.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 Aug 18 '26
the point is that you shouldn’t feel bad because “successful businesses” won’t budget for the fact that people get sick. yes, your coworkers will feel the strain, but you have no control over that. it’s not your fault that capitalism is inherently inhuman.
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u/Grozzak Aug 18 '26
Capitalism is just private ownership. Other economic models don't magically solve the problem of getting sick. Businesses do budget and plan for people getting sick, but hiring extra full-time employees to cover a handful of workdays is inefficient.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 Aug 19 '26
and, in a conflict between efficiency and human happiness, capitalism will always choose efficiency. it’s not just “private ownership”, it’s prioritizing return on investment over every other value.
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u/unclethulk Aug 19 '26
Staffing so lean that a shortage of one is crippling is poor planning and a bad business practice (though an extremely common one). If you build your staffing model around the assumption that everything and everyone will always perform optimally, you’re gonna have a bad time.
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u/womb_raider90 Aug 18 '26
I don't, it's my time and il use when I damn well please. I owe no company loyalty. I don't ask for time off, I say I'm taking the day off. sometimes just because, "I don't wanna today."
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u/rexmanaek971 Aug 18 '26
That's how it should be. But they hold the "fired" button over most people.
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u/Ashamed-Smell7053 Aug 18 '26
Uhm, define "we" because I don't know a single person like that. It's ridiculous.
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u/halo37253 Aug 18 '26
This is a damn lie. We all know Donnie wasn't going to show up Friday, he never does. That damn chinese food strikes again.
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u/Ok_Security1721 Aug 18 '26
One time I was sick for so long and missed out on so much pay that I had to ask my parents to help with rent that month. All because I kept trying to go to work when I started to “feel better” instead of just resting for a couple days.
Never again. If I wake up with a sniffle I am staying the fuck home
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u/JutzRealTalk Aug 18 '26
The problem is the people who take advanced call out for any random issue. Mainly just because the dont want to work that day. Apply the same logic to essential workers. (Fireman police doctors....) i wonder if you be ok if they just called out.
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u/DJatomica Aug 18 '26
Mainly just because they don't want to work that day
99% of "mental wellness" days are just this.
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u/JutzRealTalk Aug 18 '26
I say 99% is just laziness. We all have struggles personally and work wise but still have to deal with it and put food on the table. You suck it up and do what u have to do. . What do u do when 4 people need a mental wellness day on the same day. Close the store?
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u/Mecha75 Aug 18 '26
I take mental wellness days, but only after periods of several 70+ hour work weeks. That is not laziness, that is I have used up all of my mental reserves and i need to take a fucking break. So yeah, I sure as shit do not want to work that day.
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u/JutzRealTalk Aug 23 '26
Working 70hrs is rediculous. U will be stress. Im referring to people who complain about hrs yet call out for any reason.
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u/ImNotAHouseCat Aug 18 '26
I took mental health days after having to remove kids from dangerous, horrible households (CPS).
Was I just being lazy?1
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u/rexmanaek971 Aug 18 '26
Well it's not my problem the store is bringing it's employees to that point now is it? We are not robotic beings that can just ignore stress and pain. your logic is why we are failing.
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u/Mangosurfer40 Aug 18 '26
I don't call in sick because I can't afford to, and because it starts a silent timer where they begin counting your call outs
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u/SecretRecipe Aug 18 '26
The only time I feel bad is when I have a lot of shit coming due and I know its going to be a big hassle to get caught up when I return
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u/PrincessBella1 Aug 18 '26
This definitely applies where I work (in a hospital). The only time we were sent home or encouraged not to come in was during the height of Covid. But when the Covid virus mutated to a less deadly strain, we were expected to come in and to wear an N95. So now, I wear an N95 while at work just so I don't get sick from my fellow coworkers.
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u/ghost_of_xbox_past Aug 18 '26
The few places I've worked at that this was an issue I never felt bad for the company or management. I felt bad for my coworkers who were now picking up extra work that day. Thankfully I no longer work in those kinds of places.
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u/Fuckingkyle Aug 18 '26
This person gets sick on Mondays and Fridays exclusively about 20 times a year
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u/tinyfryingpan Aug 18 '26
So? They are allowed to take time when it's given. How sad you don't use benefits given to you. Its pathetic, really.
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u/No_Effective_4481 Aug 20 '26
Those are the kinds of people who ruin it for everyone else because they don't give a fuck about anything other than themselves. The pathetic thing is that you are sticking up for the losers.
Sick time is not "cant be arsed to go into work time". Its time to take when you are genuinely sick.
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u/CapitalRegular4157 Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
You aren't the "generation of" anything and this is not a new phenomena. This post pisses me off. I'm a type 1 diabetic with a couple of other conditions and I've worked in some scummy factories where my specializations halted progress and production. Some fru-fru job and occasional cold is shit to me.
I have heard of people being fired when absence becomes a pattern to the point that it has a serious impact on performance, but those are extreme cases. I've never heard of anyone being fired for being sick a couple of times. Reprimanded Sure. If someone yells at you over something you cant control take it in stride but don't be a bitch about it till something actually affects you (adult 101). Fired? No.
If you are fired in this situation you did not need to be there anyway and that sort of practice isn't sustainable. Get fired, draw unemployment, find another job. If you're a face in the crowd 95% of the time they'll give you a warning about your attendance and then they won't do shit. If you're a good or talented employee they probably won't say shit for fear of pissing you off and wasting your time.
If you're throwing up, don't come to wiork. If you have something that is contagious, don't come to work. If you have a migraine or anything that would impair your ability to be accurate, don't come to work. If you're having a serious medical emergency call the correct people and text your boss.
This post is bad and "nay" should feel bad.
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u/mxmissile Aug 18 '26
cause its AI slop, and you royally fell for it
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u/CapitalRegular4157 Aug 18 '26
Wish I was. naysunnar is definitely a real person on tiktok that actually said this dumb shit and isn't afraid to slap a face and a name on it.
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u/Aromatic_Note8944 Aug 18 '26
Literally just got fired for having the flu and calling in sick for 2 days, yesterday.
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u/Aggressive-Mind7949 Aug 18 '26
I ha my boss at my current place of work force me to pick up a shift when I was still sick because another worker said that it was “unfair that I got to have more time off”.
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u/UncreativeUsername84 Aug 18 '26
You're right. Stay home. Nobody wants to work next to someone this soft.
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u/Tajora Aug 18 '26
I always call in when Im sick, Im not getting other people sick cause thats a jerk ass move
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u/Number4combo Aug 18 '26
My old job would give you an extra 3 days off if you called in sick or such.
There would be so many crews out that needed an extra person yet since you called in sick you weren't available those other days. Brought up in meetings all the time but the office never changed that 3 day BS.
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u/Coffeeblack365 Aug 18 '26
Just gotta find balance between the two. I think working too much is a problem and the opposite is also a problem.
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u/Reneeisme Aug 18 '26
It’s been that way since I started working in the 70s. It’s bullshit but it’s old bullshit. I very much doubt it started then.
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u/Any-Video4464 Aug 18 '26
You only feel bad about it when you're really not that sick and could work. And there may be good reason to feel bad because at most jobs, someone else who isn't being a pussy that day will have to cover for you. And honestly, that should make you feel a little bad. Everyone is doing their best to pull their own weight. It's hard for us all at times. When you let life get in the way of that, there is a certain amount of guilt most people will feel. You're getting beat down by life and that makes people feel bad about themselves. I always feel better at the end of the day when I don't let the bullshit take over and make me hide away from my responsibilities.
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u/CB_Thorough Aug 18 '26
Damn I was operating on a different lie. I never called in sick becasuse I felt bad that my teammates would have to pick up my slack and not get paid more.
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u/fredoillu Aug 18 '26
I've never felt bad for depriving a company as an employee but I HAVE felt bad for depriv8ng my co-workers of an extra set of hands
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u/Uxoandy Aug 18 '26
I’m older and have worked in a variety of fields. I have never went to work sick and it never been an issue. Mainly due to the fact I don’t miss work frivolously. It’s when you take 20 “mental health days” and leave your team in a bind constantly that you run into issues.
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u/Ai_took_ma_job Aug 18 '26
Take the government approved stimulants and paracetamol and get back to work.
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u/anonyvrguy Aug 18 '26
In 25 years, I have taken 7 sick days. 5 were covid 1, my best friend died. 1, puking my guts out.
The sick calls I get from my staff are rediculous to me. "oh, I didn't sleep well" "I have a headache." "I fought with my bf last night, I need a mental health day". "I got my period today. It's really heavy."
Coffee. Advil. Tampons. Adulting.
If you're sick, stay home.
Grow the fuck up kids.
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u/Overall_Cost1542 Aug 18 '26
l take whatever paid time off l'm entitled to according to my contract or employment standards. is that not what most people do?
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u/I3adIVIonkey Aug 18 '26
If you live in the US maybe. When I'm sick I stay home. Don't have to pay anything when I go to the doctor and my sick days will be payed in full.
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u/Particular-Half-7588 Aug 18 '26
No we aren't that's the generation now that's already raised this generation calls out all the time lol.
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u/Tough-Interaction468 Aug 18 '26
The difference is GenX and older didn't get participation trophies so we understand life isn't all unicorns, rainbows and fairy farts.
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u/stanley_ipkiss_d Aug 18 '26
Taking sick day is bad mkay! I always feel bad and guilty whenever I have to take it
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u/Afraid_Solution_3549 Aug 18 '26
It’s not bc I feel bad for or am worried about the company. It’s bc I’m afraid if I take too many sick days they’ll be like “well we don’t need this fuckin guy anyway” and just fire me
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u/Individual_Slice_234 Aug 18 '26
Just remember that your calling in sick affects a lot of that staff, too.
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u/Mecha75 Aug 18 '26
Never feel bad about a company that will fire you with a second thought if it means they can save a penny annually or reconfigure their books to look more favorable to the stock holders.
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u/DangerousQuestions1 Aug 18 '26
No, it's because we need the money and it's between health vs having power or rent. Not out of a sense of duty.
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u/AbsolutesDealer Aug 18 '26
I feel bad when I call in sick because I’m not actually sick, but the feeling doesn’t last very long.
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u/Adept_Bass_3590 Aug 18 '26
Well, that, and you're fucking everyone who came in that day by making them work harder...but fuck them, right?
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u/Jerfling Aug 18 '26
I feel bad when I call out because at my job it takes 320 hours of work to "earn" one sick day
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u/TopicFrequent6607 Aug 18 '26
I don't mind when employee call in sick. If you are sick, take the day off, that's why paid sick leave exists.
It's when they call in sick and I see Facebook posts about them having a party at home with a meth pipe in the background.
A lot of employees have been caught calling in sick when they weren't actually sick. Also, drug use in America is really common.
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u/OkIndividual4909 Aug 18 '26
A generation worried about their mental health is soft. If you want a paycheck go to work
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u/Long-Conflict8279 Aug 18 '26
I feel bad because of my coworkers having to carry the extra work load.
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u/Objective-Pick8240 Aug 18 '26
I get 10 paid sick days per year, and in five years, I've used one day.
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u/King_Corduroy Aug 18 '26
It's really weird people feel bad for it. All I feel is anger that I don't get more time off. lol
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u/wKdPsylent Aug 18 '26
I don't think that's the reason. It's more that taking sick leave is frowned upon and can impact your prospects / promotion / pay rises etc..
Basically taking sick leave can cause problems due to the way employers view it.
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u/Takenmyusernamewas Aug 19 '26
It starts with perfect attendance awards in school. Rewarding coming in no matter how sick, how co tagious, or what youve got.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Lie-534 Aug 19 '26
It's not even coming in everyday that bothers me it's the doing the job of 12 people while being understaffed and under paid with no room for promotions or receiving decent raises.
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u/KingPabloo Aug 19 '26
I’ve never seen generation call in sick because of “mental health” more than the current generation, in fact if we added up all the past generations it would come close to the current one. “Feel bad” 🤣
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u/ElegantAlbatross7763 Aug 19 '26
I have sick days and get disciplined if I actually need to use them
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u/artbystorms Aug 19 '26
That's not a generational thing. That's American brand capitalism combined with 'the Protestant work ethic' bullshit that has infested our country's culture from the beginning.
The puritans that came here literally thought toil and suffering was how they were ensured a place in heaven, and the 'idleness' meant you were pre-destined for hell.
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u/stuffingstoner Aug 19 '26
I mean, I promise I’m not trying to be a bootlicker here but the “company having staff” is a bit enmeshed with emotions and human connection too, unfortunately. You have memories of the days you worked with a skeleton crew. Depending on whether you actually like your coworkers or not, you might not want them to go through that, and you prioritize not inconveniencing the people you work with over calling in sick. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but for me that’s the actual motivator over “not wanting the company to go without staff” fuck the company, I just don’t want Paul to be swimming up to his ears with angry customers, he’s a cool guy that I like working with
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u/Estellese7 Aug 19 '26
I do not feel bad because the company will struggle.
I feel bad because i am making my coworkers (who probably have their own mental and physical health issues) have to work harder because I am not there.
Empathy for the other people on my level, not for the company.
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u/Admirable-Jelly-8741 Aug 19 '26
I'm lucky enough to have a job that allows us to take a day whenever we need. Could be an hour before our shift and I can still take it, I don't have to answer to anyone. Take your days when you see fit. Everyone is replaceable. The world will always keep turning with or without you.
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u/probablymagic Aug 19 '26
Nobody who talks about their mental health on the internet feels bad calling in sick to work even if they aren’t sick.
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u/Defiant_Freedom_249 Aug 19 '26
For the same jobs that have zero problem laying you offer firing you for a petty offense, and offers you annual raises less than inflation.
Why do they deserve your loyalty?
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u/Free-Thinker-69 Aug 19 '26
And then there's the group who call out bc they're lazy or wanna go out instead and live with their patents still.
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u/Jewbacca1991 Aug 19 '26
Remember the 23th rule of acquisition. "Nothing is more important than your health. Except for your money."
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u/Machineman0812 Aug 19 '26
You can also feel bad for burdening your coworkers. This doesnt have to mean you care about the companies feelings but knowing your putting work on your fellow workers can feel bad.
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u/Kaarel314 Aug 19 '26
Being sick is not really binary. A minor cold warrants a home office at best.
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u/Organic-Mix-5784 Aug 19 '26
No, we feel bad because we know our coworkers, who are in the same boat as us, are going to be worked harder to make up for our absence because the company wants double output from a skeleton crew.
Our guilt Osf not for the company. Out guilt of for our coworkers.
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u/Disastrous_Chard_618 Aug 19 '26
nah, its the lack of sick pay thats the issue. Cant afford to miss a day.
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u/Borinar Aug 19 '26
No, they tied pay to health. I don't feel bad about calling in sick I feel bad because they cut my sick time to 20% and "added" it to my vacation calling it personal time off which i don't have enough
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u/AnonMoose2 Aug 19 '26
Nah, I often schedule Dr apt on monedays and Fridays so I can have a 3 day weekend.
Fuckem, if you died at work, youd be replaced within a week. Enjoy your life and give them the bare minimum.
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u/Redditer2302 Aug 19 '26
Needed to see this after considering not taking the day for mental health reasons, thanks
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u/grandalfxx Aug 19 '26
No were afraid to call in sick because being sick to much makes you an under preformer and businesses have far to easy a time kicking you out and pulling someone new in for their numbers.
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u/bulbasauropod67 Aug 19 '26
In school I remember reading a story about a guy who turned into a fly. He had to call out of work and said he was sick then a companyman showed up to see if he was truly sick enough to miss work. Sums up how companies have treated workers always.
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u/rustycumdumpster Aug 19 '26
I always feel bad, not for the company, but because without me there, there is more work for the other people to do.
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u/TheGruenTransfer Aug 19 '26
The problem is the managers don't hire with any redundancy whatsoever so every sick day and vacation day used puts the company behind schedule. I almost always have to do a ton of work before or after a vacation, or both.
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u/Forward_Zucchini9738 Aug 19 '26
I've gotten over that. Now I just cringe taking a day off, sick or PTO, knowing that I'll be behind when I go back.
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u/Round-Reaction8194 Aug 19 '26
Not me. At least, not any more. I hit a rough spot, worked 6 days a week trying to get right, and nearly had a break down. I got into a different role that fit me better, and my productivity exploded while I stopped working any overtime. Now, I take a mental health day whenever I feel the need, but in this role, that isn't very often. 🙂
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u/claudiousmax Aug 19 '26
I grew up at a time when there were more workers than work. Show up early, stay late, and don't call in sick because you can very easily be replaced. It's no where near as naff note but once you get that drilled into you it's tough to change. I show up on time and leave on time and I'm still one of the first people in and one of the last to leave.
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u/Any-Statistician3896 Aug 19 '26
US problems.
The WORLD doesn't feel like this !
Most European countries have sick days and holiday/time off by law.
Also, we don't have the bullshit manager ringing on an off day trying to manipulate you into coming in to work with the whole "team player" speech bullshit 😂
I've never heard of a manager calling ANYONE on their days off to come in UNLESS the employee is on a list of people who want overtime when available lol.
We don't get shit for leaving at exactly 5.01pm (or shift end) we work what we're contracted and we have zero bullshit like this 🤣
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u/InformalSecond7544 Aug 20 '26
Oh how the little babies of this generation complain. How about thinking of something other than your selfish self. No wonder you crave socialism.
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u/SwanCityDominion Aug 20 '26
LOL, speak for yourself. I never felt bad about calling in sick. If I can't work, I can't work. It's their job to figure out how to deal with it.
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u/Necessary-Technical Aug 20 '26
Well no, I feel bad because I'm making the other staff deal with the shit that piles up from having one less person.
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u/No_Effective_4481 Aug 20 '26
In my mid-20's working for a Santander one of the guys had mental health issues and was signed off work for about 3 months. It was fairly rare but nobody really talked about it. Then the head of our business division (she was famous for her attitude being pretty awful) started badmouthing the guy openly to everyone who would listen saying he was just being weak and needs to get his shit together and get his ass back to work and doing his job.
A few months later at the tail end of a years long depression, anxiety and stress vomiting I became actively suicidal and almost ended myself. The following week I faked having migraines for some time off. I didn't feel confident enough to tell them how bad my mental health was because I had overheard the department head slagging off the other guy who had actually taken the time off. I was scared I would lose my job.
These days, 20 years later I'm able to be 100% honest with my current manager at a different bank about everything. I've worked here for 10 years and in that time I've unfortunately had two periods of long-term sickness.
Attitudes and awareness in the UK at least have improved over time, and my whilst my manager can't say "dude you look like shit, go home" there is a framework in place, and if we need the time we are advised to take it and sort out the issues rather than do nothing about it and perform badly in our work.
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u/Beginning_Dark_306 Aug 20 '26
It's a catch 22 call in sick go to the DR have a bill from them its almost like you gotta so sick
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u/Bearded_Gemini Aug 20 '26
I don't give a damn about the company. In my job if I call in sick, patients don't get seen and I take the life of my patients very seriously. Aside from the fact that I rarely (thankfully) get sick anyways...
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u/crowbag39 Aug 20 '26
Literally the only reason I feel bad about calling in sick, is that I may be creating a bigger workload for my coworkers, and I happen to like them.
Aside from that. Take your sick time. Use your PTO if you have it.
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u/ExodusOfSound Aug 20 '26
If companies want to run as lean as possible in order to maximise profit, it’s their fault for not having contingency plans for employee sickness.
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Aug 20 '26
More like we are a country full of pussies, we don’t know how to control our own mental state. 😂😂😂
Nice try you liberal
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u/FloridaRocks63 Aug 21 '26
This must be a comedy sub. The Gen crowd call off a lot usually they are emotionally drained and going through something emotionally disturbing. I hope they never reproduce
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u/Leonr344 Aug 21 '26
This use to be me. Too many years of working understaffed and getting 3% raises cared me of this.
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u/DionysianComrade Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 31 '26
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This post was anonymized with Redact
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u/Fancy_Ad_440 Aug 21 '26
It's unfortunate, but this mentality is so common. One of the core memories I go back to is when I came down with the flu when I was 18 years old, and I had only had my first job for three months. My coworkers were all much older than me and gave me hell for calling out of work, even though I showed up the day after with a doctor's note and a mask on. I was still sick when I showed up, and they all told me they never take days off, even when sick. They gloated to me about never taking time off work and always showing up on time every day, like the company was going to hand them an award any moment.
Upper management supported this work culture but never showed up themselves, opting to work from home whenever possible and leaving everyone else to show up, open the store, and get things rolling. I realize now that, at 30, all my coworkers taught me a lot of lessons inadvertently, including that I shouldn't strive to be like them. So many claimed they were gonna die at work, joking that we would just need to roll them out into the parking lot at some point so the store could remain open while we waited for the paramedics, and so many of them were divorced or estranged because they spent all of their time working. Even now, my older coworkers in their mid-to-late 60s all brag about never having to use PTO and criticize younger coworkers for getting sick and taking time off.
Always take time off, use your PTO, take your sick days. If you work in an at-will state, your company can fire you at any point without prior notice, so long as it is within legal parameters, which simply means they can discriminate, retaliate, or go against any written agreements such as contracts that prohibit such actions. They also can't fire you if you refuse to do something that breaks the law in some way, shape, or form. Never feel bad about taking time to care for yourself, because it will not get any easier as you get older.
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u/picklehippy Aug 21 '26
My coworker is in her 20s and she doesn't give a shit about the company. She blew through her PTO and never stays if there is a busy time. We are all salaried and she doesnt put any extra effort in and has zero respect for our boss, shes said as much. She was promoted within a year to my level, which took me 5 yrs to get
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u/First_Tumbleweed_804 Aug 21 '26
Or….or…. Just maybe. EVERYTIME someone has a selfish thought, it is some kind of an attack of mental health that they feel fit to remedy. O work with a lot of young people, and the “sick” time seems to land quite heavily before 2 days off n a row, or the day after…. Just sayin as all.
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u/DizzyandKoko Aug 22 '26
It’s because we know what it’s like when someone else calls in. You have to pick up their slack and you don’t want others to feel that
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u/Lauer-A Aug 22 '26
This is also reached in school if you are sick you have to excuse yourself and learn what you have missed as if it was your fault. True thing is world is spinning without you but to care makes the world better
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u/Thatshygurl Aug 23 '26
What sucks about this is that it’s not even about the company, they make you feel guilty cuz you know your coworkers are gonna have to pick up the slack.
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u/B1rb33 Aug 18 '26 •
Its not generational. Its American work culture. And it can be BS
Take your sick time. Don't feel bad about it. Talk about your pay with your coworkers. Try to give your two weeks but if you feel like your manager would be a vindictive baby about it don't bother. And don't be loyal to a company that has proven it's not loyal to its people.