The totally off-topic thread

[TiredOldFlyer]

Do people really come to the emergency room for a (assumed) mild illness to get a day off work?

Not around we we live - the wait is too long!
They go to a Bulk Billing medical centre were the Doctor is more interested in the income than the patient.

 

[Pushka]

Not around we we live - the wait is too long!
They go to a Bulk Billing medical centre were the Doctor is more interested in the income than the patient.

I was at one today. We used to have to pay $30 a visit, then when Abbott tried to do his "thing" they started bulk billing. At 8am this morning the waiting room was full and following from this topic I was trying to pick out who was the "sickie certificate" people. But mostly they were just, um, old!

 

[JohnM]

Oh. And I will use up my 10 days sick leave each year. No prizes for having 100 days of unused sick leave when you leave the company.

I worked in my career job for 36 years and had 3 x single sick days in all that time (a wisdom tooth giving me agony one day, a vasectomy and I can't recall the other.) Add another 8 years of various work ranging from full time to part time as an employee and periodic self-employed consulting, where I've never had another sick day. I've never had a Dr's certificate in my life.

I was gloriously happy to retire with god-knows-how-much accrued sick leave for the simple reason it meant that I was healthy going into the 'senior' years. To me, that is the most important thing in my life.

I'm sorry, but for the life of me I just cannot understand why people feel they have to get the most out of sick leave - because it obviously means that that they are perennially sick (who would want to be ) or skiving (where's the pride in that ).

Same with private health insurance: I'm happy to pay a top table premium but I'd be even happier to never use it. Why some people think that they have to 'get their money's worth' by wishing themselves into being ill is completely beyond me .

BTW, did I say that you hit a button with me JK...? .

 

[cove]

At our workplace you get an extra $200 if you make up the sick day time so I am with you JohnM.
Sick days are not meant to be fraudulent.
When we had two employees who were desperately sick we paid them through to the end of their lives. Fortunately they were members of our life cover plan so their families did not end up on struggle street.
I worked for 7 years as an accountant employee and I was violently ill one day after I had given a month's notice of leaving. I was verbally abused by my boss so I offered to come in and throw up in his office.
At our work we have dealt with 3 heart attacks and 2 melanomas in 35 years of operating.

 

[Hvr]

I left a job in 2012 not having had a sick day since 2006 when I was diagnosed with swine flu. A week off for that one. The absence prior to that was several years previously.

Since I started my new job this year (Jan) I haven't had a sick day off yet most of the people I started with have had several.

I'll use sick leave when I'm sick and no other time. If I get a serious illness and need a few weeks/months off I'll have paid sick leave and more importantly the reputation of not being a the type of person who takes sick leave just because it's there.

 

[Pushka]

I rarely take sick leave but with a family member becoming desperately ill in his twenties I never bother about accumulating it and then letting it go if I don't need it. Not that I get it these days being self employed.

 

[drron]

45 years and only 2 sick days when I had surgery on a ruptured ear drum.

 

[medhead]

As someone with over 300 hours of sick leave at my last check. Place me firmly in the sick leave is for being sick category. In fact the last time I had a "sickie" was 14 years ago when my manager (who could barely manage their way out of a wet paper bag) reneged on our agreement to give me 4 days flexitime after working 160+ hours in 2 weeks.

Of course that was also the workplace where people would just have a day off because we felt like a bit of a recharge. Meanwhile, everyone else is at work stressing out to cover their [stuff]

Many doctors in my experience simply write "due to a medical condition" on the certificate. On the form I fill in, it asks me the nature of illness so I write "as per medical certificate."

Recently I took a day off - I was so sore after ice skating for the first time as an adult. I didn't even fall over! I didn't go to the doctor as it was a Sunday but should have had a certificate because I had a day off the day before. So I put "sporting related muscle soreness" on the form which wasn't questioned.

I had an employer that wanted me to state the illness in a no certificate situation. I put in the symptoms and was told I have to state the illness. I replied "I think I had scarlet fever, but I'm not a doctor".

 

[penegal]

In the modern time of political correctness you need to be careful what you say, but some people do seem to be sick quite frequently.

---

FWIW, I rarely use sick leave. If I am sick I will work from home (or the hotel) and occasionally take sick leave.

The longest period of sick leave was when I had a planned surgery.

 

[JohnM]

45 years and only 2 sick days when I had surgery on a ruptured ear drum.

That's mighty impressive seeing that you were hanging around a lot of sick people - and then the sick leave was for nothing contagious :shock:.

 

[OATEK]

45 years and only 2 sick days when I had surgery on a ruptured ear drum.

I might have matched that if it wasn't for all those Drs wanting to cut bits out of me!

 

[Princess Fiona]

Do people really come to the emergency room for a (assumed) mild illness to get a day off work?

No they don't specifically come for that reason. People do come with mild illnesses though. I'm pretty lucky in that I don't work in the area those patients are seen. I've come across them during my specialist training years though.

 

[Princess Fiona]

In the modern time of political correctness you need to be careful what you say, but some people do seem to be sick quite frequently.

---

FWIW, I rarely use sick leave. If I am sick I will work from home (or the hotel) and occasionally take sick leave.

The longest period of sick leave was when I had a planned surgery.

Same. I have 700 hours of sick leave.
The longest period I had off work was 4 years ago when I had a work injury and subsequent surgery.
The Back To Work Coordinator was astonished that I turned up to the first meeting wishing to do just that

 

[clazman]

It is amazing in our office, sick days are treated like rostered day offs, the young ones regularly take 1 day off almost on a monthly basis.

 

[blackcat20]

I use my sick leave when I'm sick; there is nothing worse than people who drag themselves into work then cough and splutter over everyone else. So if I'm sick, I stay home. That's what it's for. Handy when I had my wisdom teeth out recently too, I certainly needed a week before I was comfortable enough to go to work.

 

[kpc]

1216 hours or 30.4 weeks sick leave available here:shock:

 

[Quickstatus]

Some say if sick come in to work and don't waste your sick leave. Save your sick leave so when you use it you can use it more effectively if you are not sick.....

 

[QF WP]

I wasn't sure whether I heard this correctly on the radio as I was driving back to my office, but Sth Aust has capitulated in their second innings (all out 45, only 1 batsman made double figures) to lose outright to Tasmania. Scorecard here: SOA 45 (38.3 ov, CJ Sayers 9*, JM Bird 1/9) - Match over | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Looks like Ed Cowan could be ready for a Test call-up if they decide to drop Watson or Rogers. Back-to-back centuries (147 & 158) has him in really good form.

 

[cove]

I just ordered some DM cheer with starthere and RACWA Woolies gift cards to get 13% off the champagnes and other drinks for NYE.

 

[JohnK]

I worked in my careeI'm sorry, but for the life of me I just cannot understand why people feel they have to get the most out of sick leave - because it obviously means that that they are perennially sick (who would want to be ) or skiving (where's the pride in that ).

Same with private health insurance: I'm happy to pay a top table premium but I'd be even happier to never use it. Why some people think that they have to 'get their money's worth' by wishing themselves into being ill is completely beyond me .

BTW, did I say that you hit a button with me JK...? .

Oh John. Did I touch a nerve?

Don't judge. Sick leave is there to be used and should be used.

Doctors appointments! Should people schedule these in their own time?

Here is a pet hate of mine. You have a cold, coughing, runny nose and you still go into the office? Why? To share it with everyone? Anyone that comes into work in this condition should be sent home immediately.

I gave other examples earlier. Headache. Stiffness. Swollen fingers, wrist, arms. Stomach aches.

Should I just be brave and soldier on? No prizes for unused sick leave.