Of course some abuse sick leave etc to no end. One lady I've worked with consumes sick and annual leave at the rate it accumulates. When sh-t hits the fan, she has to go into debt mode. She's also famous for padding hours and claiming time when not truly present. Another guy saves sick leave for hunting seasons.
We had another lady that started work, took 9 days of sick leave and then quit. Not an option. She had to either pay us back or work long enough to accumulate that leave. She took the latter, was not really a joy to be around, and the quality of her work was quite questionable.
I'm retired now but over 28 years I took 4 hours of sick leave going home tired with a headache one afternoon. At retirement, accumulated sick leave was added to time on the job, so I had just over a full year added to the equation. I guess I could have simply taken the last year off, but I'd not ever do that to my coworkers.
That being, there were for sure days with a runny nose or a cough, but I was typically in my own office or out doing field work. I'm one of those "buck up, don't whine, and get it done" types. When I put something on the calendar, it happens Hell or high water.
I fully understand small business encouraging attendance if possible. Most simply cannot afford to have spare staff or backups on call at a moments notice. If the front office lady or the cook can't come in, then everyone is essentially out of business for those days.
Last edited by 1minute; 04/11/20.
