Sick Day Guilt
Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash
I really struggle with taking sick days. In the past 9 years (which is how long I’ve been with my current company) I can count the amount of sick days I’ve had on both hands. And that’s not because I’m a matyr or a saint, I just don’t really get sick. I’ve had the odd runny nose or sore throat but nothing to warrant an entire day sat on the sofa binge watching gossip girl (I WISH). Maybe it’s because I work in hospitality where sick days really impact the day to day operation of the restaurant and the strain sickness puts on the rest of the team is often really hard. Or maybe it’s because it’s been drilled into me that you’re a failure if you let a runny nose stop you working. I’ve always been quite good at just getting on with it, keep calm and carry on etc. So unless I physically couldn’t dress myself (which did happen during one bout of flu) I’d always pick myself up, go in and power through armed with a heavy dose of vix, berocca and paracetemol.
But today I took a sick day. I’ve been in my current role just over 2 years and this is only the second sick day I’ve taken. Yet I can’t help but feel immensely guilty, like I’ve failed or like I’m letting someone down. I’m scared the doorbell is going to ring and my manager is going to be standing there outing me for the sick day fraud I really am. I’m up, dressed and doing things around the house so why can’t I work? Probably because I have a snotty nose, headache, no voice and aching bones and it’s viral so being at work wouldn’t help anyone (being the office outcast isn’t high on my list of things to become). But I still can’t shake the feeling that I’m doing something wrong. It’s also terrible timing because my manager is on holiday, cue my coworker on Wednesday when I mentioned I was feeling under the weather winking at me and declaring “while the cats away eh?”. No wonder I’m paranoid.
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
A study by the Guardian earlier this year shows that in 2016 sick days in the UK dropped to their lowest since records began showing that we really are a ‘nation of mucus troopers.’ Which is maybe why I feel so bad that on this occasion I didn’t troop my mucus all the way to soho but instead am hiding inside on this gloriously sunny day. It’s true though, we Brits have a real problem with taking sick days. The assumption that you’re faking it is rife, hidden behind office banter. In my office even if you’re working on location everyone assumes you’re skiving.
Despite sick days falling this year has seen a rise in people talking about mental health and being encouraged to look after themselves more by taking more mental health days off work. Part of this has been honest and open conversations at work about how you’re feeling and taking more time for yourselves. Employers are being encouraged to respect when an employee needs a day off to recharge and rebalance so maybe there is a change in the wind and sick days will be more widely accepted.
As for me, I briefly checked my emails this morning and set my out of office and I’ve not looked back since. Admittedly there is still that niggling feeling of doing something wrong but it’s such a nice day I’m going to kick back, read a book and continue to shove tissues up my nose to stem the never ending flow of snot. Here’s hoping all is normal again on Monday.
Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash
