why, oh why, oh why do people insist on trudging into work even when they admit that they’re sick or feel like shit?

we work for a university. the university gives us some absurd number of sick days per annum — it’s something like fifteen. and, plus, they roll over! so in the entirely likely event that you don’t burn your entire absurd allotment, the years subsequent grant you even more entirely absurd allotments. it’s not like you get paid any more to come to work than you do to stay home sick.

and i don’t care how many meetings you have scheduled. if you feel that desperate to attend them, make them use a speakerphone and call in. also? meetings here never actually get anything done. you’re not missing anything except the inevitable last half-hour devolving into personal chit-chat.

i also don’t care how much work you have to do. if you’re sick, it’s not like you’re going to be at the top of your game. in fact, if you’re, say, sneezing uncontrollably, i don’t want you anywhere near a hash prompt.

i don’t understand this bizarre typhoid mary martyr culture we have here. so many people will email or whatever and say “well, i don’t fell very good, what with the coughing up blood and everything, but i can’t miss today so i’ll be in.” what are you talking about! you people are crazy!

when i’m sick, i freaking call in. i don’t want to make the ten people in my hallway sick too. frankly, if i’m sick the chances are i just plain don’t want to deal with people, either, and i’m going to be bitter and snarky all day, while simultaneously not getting any actual work done. trust me, no one wants a sick sabrina dragging herself to the office out of a misguided sense of “oh, but i have to go to that meeting!”

people. it’s okay to stay home. it is, in fact, actively encouraged to stay home. it is in the best interests of the university if you just…stay….home. please, please stay home. i don’t like being sick, and i tend not to get sick on my own, so if you come to work when ill and make me sick — especially if you pass around some of the crap that was going around last winter — i’m going to be extremely cranky with you.

bah.