Why do people insist on coming to work sick?

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

I just started a new job two weeks ago. Last week the nurse I share an office with, a very small, hot office, came to work on Wednesday with diarrhea and vomiting and stayed half the day, then was out the next day and returned Friday. Needless to say I got sick last night and was up all night. I absolutely hated having to call in, especially since I am new, but I'm not one to risk others getting sick. I have a suppressed immune system due to some health issues, so I tend to catch whatever bug is going around.

This is just a pet peeve of mine. What good does it do anybody for a co-worker to come in sick and spread it around?

Guess I'm just feeling bummed out for having to call out. It's been eating at me all day. Just wanted to vent. Thank you for "listening."

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It's not your fault, so don't feel bad for having to call-in...

I think people come to work when they're sick sometimes because they really want the money. I don't get it myself. When I'M sick, I don't have the energy or brainpower to go 12 hours taking care of people.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.

Because the culture is that we shouldn't leave our coworkers to pick up the slack, and never, EVER inconvenience management. So sick nurses feel guilted into coming to work. And as a result, they spread their illness to others.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

In my experience, it's primarily those nurses who either are immuno-suppressed themselves or live with someone who is that are appropriately diligent when it comes to calling in vs. coming to work sick.

I have, when faced with a sneezing, coughing, snot-blowing co-worker, asked why the co-worker felt it appropriate to come to work that day. The answer? "I came because I'm saving my PTO for my vacation."

i prefer to believe that most offenders are careless rather than callous, but sometimes it's hard to keep the faith.

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
It's not your fault, so don't feel bad for having to call-in...

I think people come to work when they're sick sometimes because they really want the money. I don't get it myself. When I'M sick, I don't have the energy or brainpower to go 12 hours taking care of people.

Thank you j0y. I very much understand needing the money, but what I don't understand is why risk getting others sick, especially the residents?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Some people are in the position-financial or otherwise-that they must come in; not everyone has or is eligible for sick time or other perks.

Some people, like myself, care LESS about what people think and will call out sick; the one time I didn't because there was NO other back up; I came with DayQuil and worked the 16 hr shift-they truly had no one to staff. That will be the only time I will come in sick; and that had been far in between despite my own medical issues, I usually don't get sick as I've tailored a few interventions that have improved my health over the years.

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I work in home health and I admit I go to work sick. Never with a tummy bug though. I put on a mask before entering my patient's homes and am extra diligent in hand hygiene. I do this whether I only have the sniffles or if I have more severe symptoms.

If I don't go to work I either have to find someone to cover my patients (not easy at the last minute), or I have to move them to another day. So I may be able to take a day off, but then as I'm recovering and still feeling like I'm dragging I have extra long days... no thanks. Unless I have a light schedule I'm working. When I worked at a facility I did take off for being sick, but in home health it's very difficult to do that.

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.

LadyFree, what sort of interventions have you put in place to improve your health? I have Fibromyalgia, arthritis, neuropathy and some other issues and am tired of getting sick everytime somebody coughs or sneezes on me.

I work in an office (MDS Nurse) so fortunately it doesn't cause a hardship on anyone if I am sick and can't work. I can understand though how difficult it would be if there was nobody to cover for me. I've gone to work a few times armed with Dayquil, but didn't have an elevated temp., so I pushed through as I didn't want to put the burden of covering for me on another nurse. I've also worked with bronchitis, migraines and horrible sinus infections, but made sure I took Tylenol and Advil to keep the temp. down and take the edge off the migraines.

I can imagine how difficult it is to be sick working in home health. The patients still have to be seen as scheduled. Since I have medical issues that would be a difficult field for me to work in.

Since I'm new I won't get paid for the day unfortunately, so that's going to hurt. I won't start accumulating sick days until after my 90 days probation.

Thank you all for the responses so far. I like seeing things from other nurses' perspectives.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

LTCNS, I have migraines, as well as neuropathy from a major medical issue that I had 6 years ago; I also had a exploratory lap to help save my life. With the surgery and major medical issue, I was told in had a major risk in term of immunity. I altered my diet for the sake of my abdominal pressure exacerbating my neuropathy; I also take B-C complex, multivitamin, as well as exercise which has helped me have less viral illneses.

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Specializes in Clinical Documentation Specialist, LTC.
LTCNS, I have migraines, as well as neuropathy from a major medical issue that I had 6 years ago; I also had a exploratory lap to help save my life. With the surgery and major medical issue, I was told in had a major risk in term of immunity. I altered my diet for the sake of my abdominal pressure exacerbating my neuropathy; I also take B-C complex, multivitamin, as well as exercise which has helped me have less viral illneses.

Thank you. I think I will pick up a multivitamin and B-C complex this weekend. I currently take Vitamin D3 and magnesium, but need something to boost my immune system.

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

My hospital works on a point system on top of PTO. We get four call out points a year. Five is a HR visit and a mark on your record that keeps you from transferring for a year. Six is termination.

I'd rather make someone else sick than lose my job, unfortunately.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

We lose points on our annual evaluation for calling in more than 5 times in a year (so if you are sick for 2 days in a row, you are SOL). This on top of losing 10% of your individual points if the department satisfaction score is less than their goal.

Yeah I went in last night with a cold and my Dayquil. Felt lousy all night, wore a mask for a good bit of it, had charge put me out in triage so that while I was busy I wasn't physically running as much. Also, there had been a message on my machine that morning to see if I could come in extra that night, but the caller realized half way through the message I was already on the schedule and apologized. If I hadn't gone in we'd have been even more short than we were. The ED had several traumas, a STEMI, etc. that night.

I am not going in tonight, my voice is gone. Hope they found somebody.

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