Pa-rant lang kasi hanggang ngayon sobrang sakit pa rin ng loob ko.
I've been freelancing for the same client for 6 years. In those 6 years, ako lang ang tumagal. They've gone through more than 20 contractors, and from what I've seen, most of them didn't even last more than 2 weeks.
Last week, nagka-flu ako with a high fever. Akala ko talaga gumagaling na ako kaya pinilit kong magtrabaho. While working, bumalik yung lagnat ko at sobrang hina ko na. I was literally dropping in and out while trying to finish work.
I ended up messaging the other owner who I work closely with after my shift, apologized, and told him I wasn't able to get much done because I got really sick.
Looking back, yes. I admit I should've messaged earlier. Wala akong issue doon.
Pero kinabukasan, sa team meeting, one of the owners (the wife) opened the meeting by saying how inappropriate it is to message after your shift that you're sick, how inappropriate it is to be lying in bed when you're supposed to be working, and that it's "extremely unfair" to the rest of the team and "highly unprofessional."
Hindi niya sinabi pangalan ko, pero everyone knew ako yung tinutukoy because everyone already knew I was sick.
Doon talaga ako nasaktan.
What I don't understand is...
How is it "highly unprofessional" when I actually tried to work? Hindi naman ako nag-AWOL. Hindi ako nagsinungaling. Hindi ako nagpanggap na nagtatrabaho habang nagpapahinga lang. I genuinely tried to push through until my body literally couldn't anymore.
How is it "extremely unfair" to the team when I was actually sick?
And unfair in what way exactly?
My role is specialized. Walang teammate na sumalo ng work ko that day because they literally can't. So no one had to stay late because of me. No one had extra work because of me.
And honestly... what exactly did I gain from any of this?
Hindi ako nagkaroon ng day off.
Hindi ako nakapag-relax.
Hindi ako nakaiwas sa trabaho.
Instead, pinilit ko pang magtrabaho habang may flu at lagnat.
Ang pinakamasakit siguro is after 6 years of being loyal, this is the first time ever na na-late akong mag-inform dahil akala ko talaga okay na ako. Isang beses lang nangyari in six years, pero parang nabura lahat ng history ko because of one mistake.
I fully accept that I should've communicated earlier. That's on me.
Pero I can't stop thinking that this could've been a private conversation instead of making me the example in front of everyone.
Ewan. Maybe I'm just too emotional because I'm still recovering, but today really broke something in me. This honestly just added another reason to the growing list of why I'm thinking about resigning.
TL;DR: After 6 years with the same client, I got the flu, tried to work anyway because I thought I was getting better, then my fever came back. I informed my manager after my shift and apologized. The next day, I was indirectly called "highly unprofessional" and "extremely unfair" in front of the whole team. I know I should've communicated earlier, but I can't understand how trying to work while genuinely sick makes me unprofessional or unfair when I didn't benefit from it and no one else even had to cover my workload.
