How many sick days do you take in a year?
Posted by Doomergeneration@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 736 comments
On average how many occasions do you take off sick at work? I rarely do and often go in when feeling meh, I’m starting to think that is the wrong thing to be doing and that I should be more ‘selfish’
HotelPuzzleheaded654@reddit
Whenever I’m too sick to work, there isn’t a prescribed amount of days.
preaxhpeacj@reddit
Tell that to my employer, we get 3 lots of sick days a year before HR get involved, and they wonder why colds etc have been spreading round the office like wildfire
TravellingMackem@reddit
This is the problem. You force individuals to come in, then they pass it around and you have way more people off with it than the one initial person. Especially in roles that can be WFH, avoiding the office really should be encouraged whenever you have contagious shit - especially this time of year when there’s tons of it going around
Ollietron3000@reddit
Some teams in my company (not mine fortunately) have a policy of "you are either off sick, or you are in the office", in roles that could mostly be done from home.
I understand there's a desire to ensure people aren't working when sick, but it just seems ridiculous to me. There are so many occasions where I've had a pretty light cold and feel totally okay to work, but will stay at home just so I don't give it to the whole team. Feels like a policy that will just result in more of the team getting sick and taking more sick leave.
lunamilica@reddit
This legit was me today. I said can i wfh, as I believe i still can. (Have woken up to really bad diarrhoea and bowel problems since 6am). She said no and that i should only call in sick, its ridiculous
Hill_Reps_For_Jesus@reddit
Before 2020 i used to take about 5 sick days a year, and then after my role switched to WFH i didn't take any.
When I was asked about it, I replied 'because there's such a thing as being too sick to spend 3 hours on public transport, but well enough to send emails from my couch.'
TravellingMackem@reddit
Exactly this. I’m in a role where I can change up my day to day activities without impacting others, so if im not feeling great I’ll do a day of admin crap that doesn’t take brainpower but is still being productive
Misselphabathropp@reddit
This is the secret to reducing staff sickness rates. I moved to a more flexible role a year ago and haven’t taken any sick days since because I just do admin when I’m feeling rough.
GoonishPython@reddit
Yes! There's quite a lot I can do curled up on the sofa with a blanket and a mug of lemsip, and with the added benefit I'm not sneezing at everyone, don't have to look presentable, didn't have to commute and can take a nap at lunchtime.
TravellingMackem@reddit
And didn’t infect any work colleagues and take half the ship down with me (which inevitably means more work for me if others are off sick)
AvatarIII@reddit
Don't give them any ideas, soon sick days will be a thing of the past replaced with WFH days.
Hill_Reps_For_Jesus@reddit
Shouldn't they though? That was kind of my point.
If they'd just let me work from home when I was under the weather, then I'd have been able to work just fine. But because they were so sure that working from home was impossible (until world events proved them totally wrong) they lost my hours on those days.
There's still such a thing as being too sick to work from home though. If you have the flu it doesn't matter if you're not commuting, you'll barely be able to change the channel.
AvatarIII@reddit
That's my point, it creates multiple tiers of "sick". Much easier to just have sick and not sick rather than having to judge if you're well enough to be doing a full day of work from home.
BrightSalsa@reddit
I’ve actually had to adjust my thinking a bit on this. I realised I wasn’t taking sick days that I would have if I had to commute. However, I have to account for my time by the half hour on my timesheet, allocated to specific projects. If i’m slogging on while sick and it takes me three times as long as it should to do some task, it really distorts the time and makes for awkward conversations later on. So despite temptation to soldier on, I try to actually call in sick when i’m too sick for the commute, even if I’d have been WFH anyway. I’ll often log on and do a bit of quiet work to move something on anyway but it takes the pressure off. It’s more than compensated for by extra days I can work that I’d otherwise have to take off at inconvenient times for things like sick children at home.
BagIll2355@reddit
Exactly this
Buddha-dan@reddit
On top of this since 2020 going into the office with coughing or sneezing doesn't go down well for anyone who can do their job from home. Since 2020 I've had zero days off sick, until today ironically.
g0ldcd@reddit
WFH is also pretty good at letting you work at lowered capability. I've had an absolutely bastard of a cold over the last week, but managed to keep on top of the important stuff. I'm slurping lemsip in an Oodie, so the webcam isn't going on. Felt really shite on Wednesday, so went to bed mid-afternoon - but didn't have to wake up each day and decide to either go in, or stay in bed.
Background_Baby4875@reddit
you don't do this you have another problem.
Bet you wouldn't be leanient if it was your business
Watsis_name@reddit
You can monitor sick days to weed out the minority of piss takers while trusting your staff to be honest about it and not setting hard and fast rules that encourage outbreaks at your workplace.
Background_Baby4875@reddit
the issue with this is when that member of staff takes you to the ombudsman with testiomonals that others didn't go through the same process, your get the book thrown at you.
Background_Baby4875@reddit
accusations follow on why that might of been done, yes the reason could be there not the ''pisstakers'' but the reality is they will say is it because.... then you get into muddy waters
UnusualSomewhere84@reddit
I don't know about other employers but I know NHS sickness policies have it written in that you can act on sickness based on 'patterns' like people always being sick after their annual leave, or fridays or mondays, or when they'd have leave requests denied etc.
Background_Baby4875@reddit
would have to be very strong pattern, even 3 times likely wouldn't push hr to terminate them on that alone
UnusualSomewhere84@reddit
Well no hopefully not!
OneDayIWillThrive@reddit
If you have the correct documentation in place to back up what you're saying then this shouldn't be an issue. Someone is taking every Monday off is different to someone who has been signed off by a doctor for 3 months due to an ongoing issue. It might be the same number of days but different circumstances and the documentation would be enough for any investigation to conclude no foul play..
Watsis_name@reddit
Exactly, you can track it and pick out patterns like taking every Monday off while still trusting people to self cert responsibly.
TravellingMackem@reddit
It’s not about being lenient with people - it’s about overall business benefit. You can have me off for 2 days, or I can come in and infect 10 people, all who then take 2 days off. Clear which one benefits the business and the employees and which doesn’t
Background_Baby4875@reddit
lenient will lead to abuse, its not about you, you might be a perfect employee that only goes of sick when sick, unfortunately others ruin this for you.
TravellingMackem@reddit
You’re very cynical
Kialouisebx@reddit
I think you may also be a touch to optimistic, the truth is most likely in between.
TravellingMackem@reddit
Yea I’ll take that
Gnome_Father@reddit
Then employ somebody who isn't a douche? If people take the piss, hire other people. If you can't recruit good enough people, pay more.
It's not that complex.
eelam_garek@reddit
It's a numbers game for them. They don't care if you're sick, they just want workers working - and wager that a certain percentage of people will still come in regardless. For the others, the 3 strike system is designed for you to not take time off for a cold, and it operates on striking the fear of meetings into you. They're deliberately formal, to make them feel as dry and official as possible. They want you to not want to be in that position again.
TravellingMackem@reddit
I totally get why they do it, just think it’s a false economy. You save on me not being off two days, but I infect 10 colleagues who then all need time off sick instead. Very odd mentality by upper management imo
eelam_garek@reddit
Like I say it's a calculated risk. Of those 10, they're all far more likely to come in regardless due to fear of the sick process. They don't care about anyone's actual wellbeing - despite what they shout about. Making money is the absolute priority, so they risk that the illness won't spread and if it does, that people are scared enough to still come in.
Significant_Return_2@reddit
Pre Covid, I was working as a contractor. I had a heavy cold, but if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid.
I asked the boss if I could WFH, as I was feeling ill. He said “no, we don’t allow people to work from home”.
I carried on going into the office and he caught my cold. He had a thoroughly miserable Christmas and passed it into his family.
It shows the value of allowing people to stay away when they’re contagious.
TravellingMackem@reddit
I love small justices like this 🤣
themcsame@reddit
Yup.
Work with a guy who had a few instances of time off for his shoulder (did his rotator cuff in iirc). Doctors note and everything. Level 3, threats of potential job loss if he has more time off.
The way companies treat times of sickness/injury that prevent work is utterly disgusting honestly.
Granted, in his case it's probably just lip service. Following protocol, and if he had to have time off again, they probably wouldn't actually do anything bar perhaps a suspension pending investigation type thing I think. I can't actually remember when/if anyone has actually made it that far and had more time off tbh.
SheevPalpedeine@reddit
You mean 3 instances of sick, not three consecutive sick days
preaxhpeacj@reddit
Yes, I didn’t say three consecutive days
Cam2910@reddit
"HR get involved" in a good company would be a discussion about the reason for the absences and if there was anything they can do to help/avoid re-occurance.
In a bad company, it's used as a weapon against employees.
1CocteauTwin@reddit
From my experience it's always used as a weapon.
HR are there for the company not the employees.
twister-uk@reddit
True, but this means it can also be for the employee - e.g. by ensuring a poor manager doesn't overstep their authority and open the company up to the threat of legal action.
1CocteauTwin@reddit
It very rarely works out for the employees believe me.
Sedlescombe@reddit
It’s always a weapon against the employee inasmuch as HR are employed by management not staff. The difference between good and bad companies is the extent to which they take into account “normal” employee behaviour. If someone is hardly ever off they are not going to be involved. If someone is always off on Fridays and Mondays then they are.
Emilyx33x@reddit
Literally this. It feels unfair penalising someone for being sick with 3 different bugs over the last 3 months but we have to follow the policy and move forward with an absence cautionary.
BluefromKanto@reddit
I work in a place where people can essentially be off whenever they feel like it and its the most annoying thing in the world. HR needs to get involved. If you're so ill that you can't work over 3 times in a year you should probably get yourself checked out.
ettierey@reddit
same for me. then a virus spreads and half the office is wiped out for 2 weeks
alongthewatchtower91@reddit
That was like my old company. The only time it didn't factor was when I was pregnant. I had a really bad bout of morning sickness over two months and had to take about seven days off in total. HR, thankfully, didn't get involved because there was nothing I could do about it and they really didn't want me at work while vomiting.
No_Software3435@reddit
I’ve just recently heard about this too. I thought we had workers rights. I don’t know when this changed from , you take off what you need to, you can only be sick on certain days .How much more like the US are we going to become?
donalmacc@reddit
The problem is that if you don’t have these policies once you get to about 40 people you end up with that person who calls in sick every Monday and in their managers meeting says “tell me exactly where in the handbook it says that I am limited to the days that I’m sick”
I’ve had to be the manager in this situation, and it’s really fucked. I know everyone is pissed off with it, I’m pissed off with it, and when I call them out for their shitty behaviour they play the “you’re singling me out card” I go to hr/admin and they say “it’s shit but they’re technically correct” and now there’s a shitty absence policy and I’m the manager who brought it in.
zephyrthewonderdog@reddit
That’s the truth unfortunately. We had no sickness policy till ‘L’ started last year. She had six separate absences in the first seven months. Always on a Monday and always for vague ‘mental health’ reasons. We now have a robust sickness and absence policy.
L was on £35hr not like it was a minimum wage job.
Old_Rosie@reddit
I'd love to have seen what the before and after policies looked like.
Does 'L' know she was essentially the reason for the new policy being introduced?
zephyrthewonderdog@reddit
Hi. We had no policies, we were a new company and fairly naive, we only employed professionals and assumed they didn’t need babysitting by a manager or strict behaviour policies. If you were off sick we just paid your wage as normal until you returned. We expected everyone to manage themselves and their own workload. Sad and wiser now obviously.
L is oblivious to things regarding her own shortcomings. Bit sad as she is excellent at her job when she wants to be. Nice person just very scatty. Her references make a lot of sense in retrospect. One previous employer refused to provide one - just a confirmation she worked there.
BoopingBurrito@reddit
Can't really take that as a sign of anything these days. A lot of corporate employers have a policy of that being all the reference they'll give, nothing more than confirmation of dates of employment.
donalmacc@reddit
I'm not the person you replied to but for us, we had no policy before. It was "don't come to work if you're sick". After it was "You must let your manager know before 9am if you are not working. They do not need to acknowledge by 9am. Failure to do so will result in a meeting with your manager on return to explain why you did not notify in advance. On the third occurance of a same-day call in, you will be invited to a meeting with your line manager and our office manager (read: HR person, there was 30 of us)."
In my case, I sat down with the employee and said "this applies retroactively for the year. You are currently on your third same-day call in this year, so any future will result in a discussion with me +. Do you understand?" Instead of appyling any common sense that we had adjusted the rules for them they doubled down on the fact that this wasn't part of the handbook when they called in. When asked what they would do differently if it was they got annoying and asked to have the meeting the next day. Which we did, but with HR involved.
OptimusTidus@reddit
£35 an hour?? Do you need a new employee?
AvatarIII@reddit
We got socially distanced desks during COVID and everyone just spread out their stuff more, so we are still basically sitting 2m from our desk neighbour now instead of shoulder to shoulder like we were before.
I've only taken 1 day this year so far for a bruised rib so not even contagious.
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
There usually is from an employers perspective
jaynoj@reddit
It's called the Bradford Scale/Factor:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Factor
Blue_wine_sloth@reddit
It’s bullshit how returning to work early because you feel bad and then relapsing is actually worse for you from an employer’s point of view.
g_constanza@reddit
Yeah exactly. I used to work in a place where you could call sick 3 times in 3 months. If you called sick more than that you would get a warning. Like you could predict this! They would rather you call sick for the whole week than come back after 3 days and call sick again, it would actually count as 2 sick times.
Blue_wine_sloth@reddit
One time I came back to work too early after a mental breakdown because I felt guilty about being off and the bullying reactions from my coworkers caused me to take more time off to spend time in a facility because I was suicidal. I didn’t get my usual tiny raise that year.
g_constanza@reddit
I’m sorry to hear that, sounds like a terrible work place.
theModge@reddit
Indeed, however I'm in the fortunate position that remains a them problem, not a me problem
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
Not knowing anything about your employment position, generally there's a 'hidden' (' ' because it's not that hidden just not in your contract) number (typically 10 days or so) whereby if you exceed that proof will be required, e.g. a doctor's note and you may only receive statutory pay which could be a huge pay cut for some.
No-Medicine1230@reddit
It’s not hidden. The law states you may self certificate for up to 7 days straight. After that you must produce a fit certificate from a medical professional. In terms of sick pay, this must be written clearly in your contract stating clearly, whether you get OSP or SSP
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
It's not as clear as that, it's not in my contract for example and our threshold is 10 days. 7 is the minimum but it can be higher depending on your employer.
No-Medicine1230@reddit
That’s fine, they can give you longer however It should be clearly written in a sickness absence policy
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
Yes it is, that's why I used inverted quotes for the word 'hidden'. It's not in the contract as it's something that is triggered when you reach the threshold at orgs I've been at. At that point you'll have a conversation with your line manager and a doctor's note will be requested. If you go beyond a further limit you may see your pay reduced to statutory.
Many orgs, especially start ups with a limited HR function don't necessarily have all this totally organised and you're being overly generous if you believe that they all do have this organised. It can be quite ad hoc, the number will exist somewhere but it's different at every org and in my experience not the easiest of numbers to find.
BoopingBurrito@reddit
I don't see how you can consider something openly written into a corporate policy to be hidden?
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
That's why I used inverted quotes, would you not consider a needle in a haystack to be hidden? Really obsessing over this one word aren't you, glad to see you've nothing better to do
BoopingBurrito@reddit
It neither hidden nor 'hidden' if its written into a corporate policy.
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
'Hidden' refers not to its existence but to how easy it is to find. At some orgs this is easier than others and you do not speak for every org. Please go and learn the English language.
WRA1THLORD@reddit
if you bother to read your contracts and your company's policies it's not hidden at all. And anyone can request these documents, it is a legal requirement in most countries that these policies are freely available to all employees. Simply contact HR and ask for a copy of the policy. That's NOT hidden, by any definition of the word. Hidden doesn't mean "I didn't ask"
Ok_Raspberry5383@reddit
It's not me with the pedantry, I know the definition of hidden that's why I quoted it, if you had an ounce of intelligence and a slight lack of pedantry you'd understand that. Unfortunately you're a typical redditer who doesn't live in the real world
WRA1THLORD@reddit
nice edit on your original comment lol Wish I could do backflips like you ;)
WRA1THLORD@reddit
you can ask for a copy of it anytime you like in any decent sized company in any western country and they are legally required to provide it to you. And if the company doesn't have one, then you're covered by your countries standard employment rights, which anyone can Google anytime.
That's literally not hidden. You can argue all you like, you are just simply incorrect at the most fundamental level. Just because you can copy and paste the meaning of the word, doesn't mean you show any understanding of it at all.
I love how you try and throw shade at my opinion because I'm on Reddit, while you are arguing on Reddit. Pot and the kettle much?
biffo120@reddit
We have an absence policy, it clearly states can be hit a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 or a set amount of days if absences taking up weeks. 3 to 5 are the formal meetings with 5 being potential sacking. It is clear as day to be fair, it needs to be to carry any power...if it has hidden messages an employee could challenge the procedure at a tribunal.
SirGeorgeAgdgdgwngo@reddit
Are you talking about the Bradford factor?
Morris_Alanisette@reddit
Yep, 6 months for me. If I'm ill longer than that then work is the least of my problems!
kipperfish@reddit
As i've just found out, it's 6 separate events in 12 months. Doesn't matter if 4 of them were for my child and not me.
NoVermicelli3192@reddit
If it’s for your child it’s not sick leave
AllYouNeedIsACupOTea@reddit
Where I work we're allowed up to 5 separate absences before HR get involved.
I'm a single mother to two children, no family. I've had to keep my children off from school on 3 separate occasions (one child once, the other twice, for just a day on each occasion) and was really ill with the flu last year (for over a week and got a for now from my doctors).
The last time my child was unwell, he was vomiting from 7am until 9pm - every half an hour to an hour, on a Friday. He was still unwell on the Monday (temperature, loss of appetite and lethargic) so contacted work and was encouraged to use my annual leave (I have to save up my annual leave for when I can't arrange childcare during the school go holidays, especially the long summer one). That's when I learnt that 'special leave' to care for dependents is only for 3 consecutive days and is unpaid. So I used my annual leave (despite not being contracted to work weekends). So I've been warned that if me or my children fall ill again before April then I'll be called into HR.
Personal sick leave and leave needed to care for dependents is rolled into one to account for absences at my workplace. Ironically I work in Healthcare.
kipperfish@reddit
My child was in hospital. Care of dependants was one of the options. No annual leave left due to school holidays etc. what else was I supposed to do?
Wholikesorangeskoda@reddit
Unless it's your manager of course
St2Crank@reddit
In that case 182.5.
litfan35@reddit
This is the one. I do also mostly WFH though so will log on when I'm feeling meh - probably wouldn't work if I had to go into the office but when I'm in the comfort of my own home, with all the kleenex, cameras off and lemsip I could want, and can work from the sofa... I'll push through. So I usually have to be pretty wiped to not log in at all these days.
Immediate-Site-1196@reddit
“Number” not “amount”
Rekyht@reddit
Not really answering the question are you? Would be easy for anyone to give a rough average across a few years.
HotelPuzzleheaded654@reddit
How is knowing how many sick days a complete stranger took going to help OP in anyway?
Rekyht@reddit
Guess they’re just trying to get an average barometer on reddits sick days.
BusinessJellyfish879@reddit
Nice word play
bambiiambi@reddit
Literally
Acrobatic_Extent_360@reddit
None, I think it is more the number of occasions that attract negative attention than the number of days
nearlydeadasababy@reddit
https://www.bradfordfactorcalculator.com/
easyjo@reddit
wow, 5 days off in a year is considered "consider a disciplinary"
HoneyFlavouredRain@reddit
It's bullshit that me having 3 sick days in a year is some concern but someone having 7 consecutive days is totally fine
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
Ohhh - can you explain this a bit? I don't fully understand the calculator. Sorry if I'm daft sometimes I need it spelled out.
HRMoron@reddit
Everyone who's replied to you has explained it pretty well. I just want to add that the Bradford factor is based on the belief that multiple small sickness absences are more disruptive to an organisation than fewer longer absences.
If you use the calculator and use 5 days (1 instance), you'll get a lower score than 5 days (5 instances). It's old fashioned and we don't use it where I work.
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
Ta very mucho x
HardAtWorkISwear@reddit
From memory when my employer tried to introduce this, it's some weighted scoring system that thinks 7 separate days off is worse than 7 consecutive days off because the latter is a single instance while the former is 7 instances.
The overwhelming feeling I got from it was that it's aimed at people that call in sick when they can't be bothered, but it mostly negatively affects those with actual conditions like migraines.
JackUKish@reddit
It also discriminates against people who dont take the piss when they are ill, it basically encourages taking the rest of the week off even if you feel better.
bahumat42@reddit
This is the takeaway. I saw people punished for trying to be present rather than taking more time off.
I very much dislike this method of sickness control.
VzSAurora@reddit
This happened to a friend of mine, got pretty ill, some form of flu. Had a few days off, tried to come in as soon as he felt a little better. Lasted a couple hours, violently vomited and went home. Took the following day off and came back the day after, same thing happend. Counted as 3 instances and ended up with a disciplinary. All he was trying to do was be in work.
JackUKish@reddit
Yeah i got called up for a review once due to having 3 periods of sickness within 12 months, i shut that shit right down when i asked my manager to add up the total days and compare it to the rest of the team, turned out my 5 days of sick didnt really compare to the weeks people had off.
starsandshards@reddit
It's a horrible method for that reason. I got made to sign a clause saying I wouldn't be off sick without a doctor's note for 6 months because I had 9 absences due to migraines in a year. Now I WFH so if I have a migraine I can take my meds and wear a cold hat and sunglasses and it's fine..ish.
CanisAlopex@reddit
S2 x D = the score
S2 means number of occasions you took off, this is squared in the score.
D means the total number of days you took off.
Let’s say you took 40 days off but the same sick leave. The score would be (1x1)x40 = 40
However, let’s say you took 9 days off over 3 separate sick occasions then your score would be (3x3)x9 = 81
It’s a terrible system but the lesson of the system but it’s widely used. It’s particularly discriminatory against those with autoimmune conditions, cancers and women who need to take time off for their period as many of these folks will only take a day or so at a time, their score will be far far higher than someone who takes even longer off, but in one block period.
IntelligentMistake35@reddit
I've been screwed by this at a couple of companies now. It's kind of inhuman as in it assigns a number to you rather than your company viewing you as a person. Yes I had a very high Bradford factor, but was diagnosed with a lifelong condition.... didn't matter. I suffer from migraines.... doesn't matter. I'm just a number, and a very scary big number, apparently. Not like I actually took more than 20 days total in the year, but there were ToO mAnY iNstAnCeS!!
It's a red flag if a company uses it. Its too easy to abuse. Hence 3 years without a single payrise due to a Bradford factor of more than 16....
glasgowgeg@reddit
Scroll down on the page, it explains it for you.
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
....woops. DUH! Sorry...ignore me u/nearlydeadasababy x
nearlydeadasababy@reddit
Nah that's fair enough, should have given more context. Wasn't really aimed at you more of a this is what Poo_Poo_La_Foo means or how it manifests itself in business.
They use this calculation to weed out the genuine people from those taking the piss, personally I'm not a fan of it. If it sends any message it sends one which is if your take a day off you might as well milk it and make it a week.
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
Yeah it does seem cunty. It says it was developed quite a long time ago and to me, it seems a crude way to understand data that should be nuanced, not binary.
twmoto@reddit
Type 1 diabetic, I get chronically sick, I run pretty close to my employers limit of 7 in a 12 month period, but I 100% take some work from home days where I end up sleeping most of the day.
spoons431@reddit
Hi! I just wanted to add a note here for you - your diabetes is likely to be classed as a disability under the Equality Act, and I'm assuming that your employer knows about it, which means that you are entitled to reasonable adjustments in the workplace which can include extra sick days
twmoto@reddit
Thanks for this, my boss and I have always had chats around return to work meetings about this, even when I’ve crept over their sickness allowances I’ve never had a any sort of attendance plan put in place, they know the sort of condition I’m managing and that I’m not taking the piss with sickness
grafeisen203@reddit
I've had four periods of absence in the past 12 months. 3 of them were single days, 2 were because of migraines and one because I wasn't fully recovered from a stomach bug I picked up over the weekend.
The remaining 1 was a week off due to probably covid.
coconut_mall_cop@reddit
If I've got something minor like a sniffle or a stomach ache but am still well enough to work, I just work from home. We have hybrid working so that's an option for me, but I do personally prefer being in the office though.
I only take a sick day if I'm genuinely too ill to do my work. If you asked me a couple of years ago, I would say I was taking a lot of sick days. I was really depressed, drinking like a fish, eating terribly, and not exercising - so I was getting sick a LOT. I've done a major 180 on my lifestyle since then though, and now take maybe 1 or 2 sick days a year.
NoEmphasis2929@reddit
my workplace say “if you’re too sick to come into the office, you’re too sick to work full stop” and force you to take sick leave instead of work from home
Dense_Appearance_298@reddit
Seawater will do that to you
underthesheet@reddit
0 usually.
I had an operation last year so took 1 day off for the op day, WFH the following 3 days and went back to the office on the Monday. I was signed off for a month.
Some people genuinely need time off but most are work shy, like to milk the system and have poor work ethic. I could have taken the piss and taken my month off but what for, sit about and get fat? I was busy at work and had to get on with it.
dazed1984@reddit
Freethehands@reddit
In my previous department, you were treated like the devil himself if you took sick days, legit or not. I did take a week off last year after a miscarriage (11w), and worked through my second miscarriage (6w). For both I would have rathered more time off but we get SSP and the 2nd time round I was training a newbie and the DRAMA it would have caused just wasn’t worth it. A woman in this department recently told me during Covid, she caught Covid, and continued to work in the tiny little space we have shared with up to 10 others (she’s now team leader!!!)
Changed departments towards the end of last year and one day I came to work, told my colleagues I wasn’t feeling great that morning so if I darted off I was probably going to be sick - they sent me home and paid me for the day. Honestly being treated as a human being instead of a slave felt amazing. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that if I’m genuinely sick, they understand, would prefer me to stay home and don’t make me feel worse because of it. Though, if I called in sick then it’s completely unpaid.
Tartan-Special@reddit
Depends how often I get sick
golosala@reddit
Am I too sick to work or contagious? That's a sick day.
tjb_87@reddit
There's a trust in my workplace that when you call in sick you are genuinely sick, we don't take the piss and take sick days when we are not ill. We get full sick pay.
MissingBothCufflinks@reddit
Thats how I operate as an employer. A few people do still take the piss (usually to cover childcare obligations) and we let it slide because meh
darkerthanmysoul@reddit
That’s what my place did.
Until one person ruined it. An apprentice. First it was Mondays off sick, then Tuesdays. Then she started having Fridays off too. Then she had Covid multiple times and got paid for each week she had off. Then she went off sick for 2 weeks but instead was on holiday - this came after begging me to swap my holidays to her after she booked a holiday without checking other people were off. The final straw was we got took over and the new boss was aware of all her time off, gave her 3 months to sort herself out. In those 3 months she was off 64 days.
Now, we got tuped (or whatever it’s called) and the new boss cancelled paid sick leave.
scarby2@reddit
Sounds like they should have just sacked her.
newfor2023@reddit
The cancelling sick leave was likely already on the cards once new contracts were signed.
KenyanKawaii@reddit
How do they know ?
Next-Suit-9579@reddit
We had this policy until one member of staff, no longer employed there, took the piss. Now no-one gets sick pay. I hate her with my whole being and haven't seen her in nearly 6 years. There's only 3 staff members, I also hate my boss.
First-Lengthiness-16@reddit
What happens if someone starts taking the piss?
No_Imagination_sorry@reddit
I imagine that had to happen, with a Kidney problem.
tjb_87@reddit
To be honest nobody ever has so I'm not sure.
reni-chan@reddit
This. I call in sick whenever I am sick. I haven't had for the past 2 years thankfully. The first 3 months of any sick leave at my workplace is fully paid.
emmaa5382@reddit
We had a traffic light system, one sickness yellow light two red light three fired. Ended up on probation for getting a kidney infection
PrinceBert@reddit
This is how adults operate and a good company measures appropriate KPIs rather than worrying about whether you're actually present. If the work gets done to a good enough standard then whether you take holiday or sick days is not relevant.
DrJacoby12@reddit
My place uses the Bradford factor (which isn’t exactly an effective/accurate scale) if it’s below a certain number it’s full pay (equivalent to 3 or 4 separate days off a year I believe).
I’m sick normally 1-3 times a year.
AndyJBailey@reddit
3 days in 42 years.
JamesyUK30@reddit
Uh in the last 5 years I have had 7 days according to the records. Theoretically I can be off sick for 3 months and the business has long term / terminal illness insurance so I still get paid after that.
TheAnxiousPangolin@reddit
I’ve had two periods of “sickness” in the last year, both lasting 4 weeks and both following an operation. I don’t consider it too much; sure I appreciate it’s inconvenient for my employer, but it’s more inconvenient to me needing the operation in the first place. I’m quite selfish with my time off - if I need it, I take it.
Difficult-Bat-4169@reddit
I used to have an incredible amount of sick days, I used to call myself to king of sickies because I could blag absolutely everybody
AdhesivenessNo6288@reddit
It's not selfish to take a day off, it's selfish to spread your gunk to people who need to look after kids or elderly family members, who have a disability which is affected by viral illnesses, people who can't get sick pay etc etc. Just stay at home and drink some warm squash already!
Nine_Eye_Ron@reddit
Since working from home I’ve gone from taking a week or so to barely a day or two.
GammaPhonica@reddit
That kinda depends on how often I get sick.
And to those who proudly say zero, fuck you. You get sick just like the rest of us. Only we keep it to ourselves while you spread it around.
Elster-@reddit
Your edit makes no sense at all
You can’t say those who say they don’t get ill are spreading it then directly contradict your own statement below.
GammaPhonica@reddit
Which edit did you read? Because mine doesn’t say that at all.
boo23boo@reddit
I haven’t taken a sick day in at least 14 years, I can’t quite remember how further back I’d need to go for a sick day. I’m disabled and have chronic pain/mobility problems. I literally cannot take a sick day. I’ve had employers who have tried to manage me out due to my disability and I cannot afford to give anyone leverage. Having the confidence of job security to take a sick day is a luxury I don’t have.
Ligeiapoe@reddit
Omg. Sod those people. They are the reason I am currently unwell. I swear every single person in our office was sneezing last week. Not a tissue or a hand sanitiser between them and we got desk. The place was a germ farm.
Astro-Butt@reddit
My friend is like this. He'll still rock up to the office if he's coughing and sneezing all over the place just to prove that he's an old school hardass who doesn't need to take a day off because he feels "unwell". The point is that you then spread it to many other people but nobody will ever convince him otherwise. Annoyingly he has a weird contract where he works for another company but under our roof so we can't tell him to go and his boss doesn't care.
Sharpygvet@reddit
Depends on you job though right? Some people like myself work in a role where if you are not at work you are leaving the rest of the team with more workload so I try get myself to work no matter what.
GammaPhonica@reddit
And infect your colleagues resulting in reduced productivity anyway. Good job 👍
BeatificBanana@reddit
You are of course right, but some people have no choice because of their boss's attitude.
Years ago I used to work in a restaurant. Tiny town, no other jobs and no transport, I literally had to keep this job if I didn't want to be homeless.
The owner/manager was one of these morons who sees it as a point of pride to come into work when sick. He seemed to think that there was no such thing as being too ill to work unless you were dying.
If anyone called in sick, he would spend the entire day bitching about them, making fun of them for not being able to handle a little cold, or claiming they were faking it, and being angry at them for leaving us in the lurch.
Then he he would retaliate by drastically cutting down their hours. Everyone was on a zero hour contract, only paid for the hours we worked. You could bet your bottom dollar that if you called in sick, you'd be lucky to be scheduled for one shift a week for the next several weeks. Cue panic about how you were going to pay the bills.
No-Structure-8125@reddit
I used to work in a restaurant, and it was also frowned upon to call in sick. Came in with a nasty cough once, and the manager came up to me saying that guests were complaining about my coughing. I asked if he wanted me to go home, and he said no, he just wanted me to try and cough less. 😂
BeatificBanana@reddit
Hahaha that sounds about right. I was only ever sent home once, when I had a nasty flu. It was going round the staff, and everyone was talking about how bad it was, but my boss thought everyone was exaggerating and was still punishing people for calling in sick. So when I caught it I thought sod it, I'll go in and see if he's happy for me to serve customers like this. I looked like death warmed up and could hardly walk. He sent me home within half an hour, and funnily enough he didn't cut back my hours in retaliation like he normally did when I phoned in sick. Felt like a major win, but looking back it was all massively fucked up.
Last-University-4779@reddit
I genuinely have never had the flu or any cold that's gone below my head, never been to a GPs or hospital. Some of us genuinely don't get ill. However, If you are unwell you shouldn't not be going to work.
No-Oil9121@reddit
I don't get ill from colds I get hit with hay-fever instead. At least I know I'm not contagious. Just me that suffers I'm not gonna make anyone else ill 😂
BabyRaperMcMethLab@reddit
I actually got sick last year for the first time since before covid (also never got covid) so some people legitimately don’t need sick days
GammaPhonica@reddit
Did you just tell me some people don’t need sick days by telling me you were sick?
BabyRaperMcMethLab@reddit
I was sick one time in 5+ years and it was actually a day I already had off so I didn’t need a sick day…
GammaPhonica@reddit
But you got sick. And if that were on a work day, you would’ve called in sick. Correct or not?
Because I’m criticising those take pride in not calling in sick, but who come into work when they very obviously should be at home.
BabyRaperMcMethLab@reddit
I think you might be Don Quixote fighting windmills here
GammaPhonica@reddit
I wish I was. I’ve encountered several of this type in my life. Coughing and spluttering all over the place, barely able to vocalise with their hoarse voice that “no really, I’m fine”.
Then weeks later bragging about how they “don’t get ill” and “never take sick days”.
glasgowgeg@reddit
I took zero sick days last year, but when I had a cold I worked from home.
I didn't need to take a sick day, because I was well enough to work, I just done it in a way where I wouldn't be spreading any germs.
panic_attack_999@reddit
But fuck you, and me too apparently, according to Sicknote over here. Guess we're making him look bad with our healthy immune systems or something.
MyManTheo@reddit
Yeah same. It’s pretty rare that I’ll be sick enough that I’m unable to work - probably like 1 day every 2-3 years.
bakeyyy18@reddit
Bit of an angry take - a lot of people don't regularly get sick enough not to work, and can WFH if they have a mild cold.
Crivens999@reddit
Depends on age. When I first started work in the 90s, it was something like 7 or 8 years before I was proper can't get out of bed sick. I hardly even had a sniffle, let alone a small cold. As I've got older that's changed somewhat, but originally I thought I was like that Unbreakable film or some shit...
ProfessorYaffle1@reddit
Not necessarily,. Some people are luckier than others in how often they get ill, I have a collegaue who wasn't off at all in the past 12 months and no, he wasn't coing in sick.
Ok_Young1709@reddit
Yeah I know someone who is very rarely sick, like I'm talking years between sick periods.
I however if I work in an office get sick once a month, minimum. Doesn't matter how hygienic I am or anything, I catch colds and flu very easily. It's so annoying, but now I work from home. I managed to go two years during covid with no sick days! Then I caught covid, again. Immune system took a bit of a hit from that so I've had a few more illnesses since but it's still not monthly like before.
GoonishPython@reddit
Ugh yes, I catch every damn thing. Had COVID once a year since the start of the pandemic, thought I'd got through this winter without, got a lung infection instead.
Nuthatch_@reddit
Have you considered taking some precautions against airborne infections?
Ok_Young1709@reddit
Only thing I can do is stay away from diseased people really. I take a multivitamin every day,
GammaPhonica@reddit
That not what I was criticising. Everyone gets sick. Some more than others, but it happens to everyone.
When you’re sick, don’t go into work. Some people make it a weird point of pride to come in when they’re sick anyway and then brag about never taking sick days.
Briggykins@reddit
I agree with you. I haven't had a sick day all year but it's nothing to be proud of. It just means I haven't been poorly. If I was, I'd take a sick day.
Beginning-Anybody442@reddit
I've got an overactive immune system which frequently makes me feel generally rough (the chemicals/activity from the unnecessary immune response are what makes me feel ill). The upside is that when the rest of the office really goes down with a bug, I rarely succumb because my 'little soldiers' stop anything right away - the person with registered ill health actually takes little time off 😁 But there is another downside - I get to cover all the lost work 🤦🏻
No-Structure-8125@reddit
Take it up with my employer. If they paid sick pay I'd stay at home, but seeing as I only get SSP, I'm coming in and making everyone else sick. I get paid £22.50 per hour, I couldn't pay my bills on SSP.
GammaPhonica@reddit
Do you proudly say zero?
MegaMolehill@reddit
Plenty of people can work from home whilst sick and are no risk infecting anyone.
Cubewood@reddit
Think this highly depends on many factors, for example I work from home, and I don't have kids who spread germs, so I can easily go all year without getting sick once. Not saying you should not take time off when you are sick, but it's possible not to get sick.
GammaPhonica@reddit
Of course. I went two years without getting sick at one point. But when I eventually did get ill, I jolly well took the day off.
I didn’t go into work anyway to prove a point like some people might.
ShampooandCondition@reddit
I used to be off sick a lot more in my old job. When you wake up at 03:30 for an early shift it's all too easy to ring in and shut your eyes again. We got full pay too.
Now I'm 9-5 and have a lot of freedom a lot less. I was off sick last Tuesday because I had a banging head ache and couldn't stop shitting. I could have probably worked but being customer facing I don't see the point in looking like shit and feeling like shit whilst dealing with them.
MahatmaAndhi@reddit
Far fewer since WFH
Competitive-Fact-820@reddit
I always try and convince my boss to left me WFH so I don't spread my lurgy around the team if it is something I can work through. If it is something that makes me wish I had ceased to be then I need to use annual leave at short notice.
I have to do the above as we are only entitled to SSP and as the only income earner for myself and my husband (unable to work due to health issues) there is not a hope of us managing if my wages were reduced due to sickness.
Lodahnia@reddit
SheepishSwan@reddit
If you go in when you're sick isn't that more selfish potentially?
If you spread an illness then your entire workplace might get shut down.
H16HP01N7@reddit
None. My job is to be a carer for my disabled SO. I get zero days off. Nor can I ever take any, for any reason.
DisneyBounder@reddit
I had two last year when I was too sick to even work from home. I'm lucky enough to work from home three days a week anyway, so if I'm feeling too crappy to commute but I could manage to work, I just slip on some clean comfy clothes and work as normal. If the day progresses and I start feeling worse I just let my team know I'm logging off for the remainder of the afternoon.
hippodribble@reddit
None yet, but I've only been working since 1988.
cafffffffy@reddit
Far more than most people. But I am disabled and when the chronic illnesses flare there’s no hope of doing any meaningful work
TofuBoy22@reddit
In a normal year, probably about a week. But previously, I've been on sick leave for nearly 3 months due to brain surgery without issue to subsequent bonuses and pay review so I'm glad my employer is pretty chill about it
OrionTheMightyHunter@reddit
I'd guess probably a total of 8-12 days a year, whenever I have a contagious illness. I work as a care assistant with vulnerable adults so we actually have policies against coming to work with anything contagious (though of course we don't get sick pay 😒).
Apparently the most common sick day is the first Monday of February. I found that out on Monday 7th February 2022, on TikTok, while I was in bed after calling in sick.
OhMyGoshBigfoot@reddit
None, I use PTO hours for sick. I get paid x2 for cashing in my “sick” hours EOY. I never get sick so appointments etc checkup bs uses vacation time instead lol
Supergoose5000@reddit
I recently didn't get a bonus after being told I got up to 2 weeks paid sick leave instead.
All I took from that was that this year I will be sick for 2 weeks in total.
solve_et_coagula13@reddit
You can only self certify sick for 7 days so I would imagine you’ll be sick for two separate weeks…
AlreadyTakenUsrname1@reddit
Although fit notes aren't super difficult to get these days so if you fancied 2 weeks off just word up your GP
solve_et_coagula13@reddit
You don’t think? I virtually had a breakdown a couple of years ago due to work related stress and my doctor told me time off would make it worse. I self certed for 7 days, drank myself half to death and went back with a new coping strategy.
AlreadyTakenUsrname1@reddit
Sorry to hear that! Your gp sounds dreadful. I hope you're doing better now
solve_et_coagula13@reddit
I don’t have a specific GP just random locums. Usually they’re fine but you hit a bad one sometimes.
Supergoose5000@reddit
Your right! I hope I'm okay. I foresee one of these weeks in July, and another around November sometime.
solve_et_coagula13@reddit
Summer flu and winter flu. Very common. Get well soon. Once you get sick of course.
Expensive-Twist7984@reddit
Just say you’ve been to kids’ parties at soft play- hey presto, you’ve caught a bug.
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
This is such a silly system! What do they think people are going to do?! EXACTLY as above.
Expensive-Twist7984@reddit
Well no; the company will also be annoyed that staff absences have skyrocketed and not work out as to why.
bigdipper2018@reddit
Tbf unless you had a prolonged episode of ‘sickness’ then 2 weeks is a lot of time off just because you had a cold…
Mr_Miyagis_Chamois@reddit
Enjoy your two weeks off
BluefromKanto@reddit
Unless it's actually physical, essentially never. 2 days last year due to an injury.
3cc3ntr1c1ty@reddit
2-3 tops.
ok-potato21@reddit
I've been consciously pushing it up the last couple of years. I basically realised I'd taken 1 in 5 years a while back and this year I hope to take 3-4... obviously more if I actually get sick.
Reasonable-Fail-1921@reddit
In the last 2 years I have been off with Covid, a migraine, a stomach ulcer, mental health and then finally that horrendous flu that was going about at the end of last year. Most things were likely caught at work or indirectly caused because of work stress / workload, and so I have zero guilt about being off. A total of 17 days.
My manager is fairly chill about absence as long as you don’t take the piss but has to follow procedure so I was put onto absence monitoring. I cheerfully informed him that I wasn’t the slightest bit concerned about it, seeing as there are people in my team who are genuinely off work more than they’re there, and I would continue to be unconcerned until such a time as that changes.
I’m lucky enough to work for the local council so it’s nigh on impossible to be fired for absence and therefore I have the luxury of security, but I genuinely couldn’t care less if I have to be off - if I’m sick, I’m sick, my well-being is more important than turning up to work.
pikantnasuka@reddit
None, we get SSP only, so we all go in and share our illnesses in a caring fashion
TGCIAHT5FABTNG@reddit
This bit me so badly in January. Nothing beyond SSP until I'm off probation (new job) and the flu and some other flare ups had me off for most of the month. My payslip was actually pitiful
palomeeno@reddit
Same
No-Opposite348@reddit
I'm self employed.
I dont have sick days off.
Ocha-Cha-Slide@reddit
I don't really have a set amount I aim for but I take time off when sick. I don't want to make others sick, and I am more likely to make mistakes when sick.
Not every workplace has been nice about it but I've had to take a lot of time off sick over the years, most recently for surgery.
You should take t if you need it, including for mental health.
AlfCosta@reddit
I’ve had 5 in 10 years
Sir_Edna_Bucket@reddit
None in 5 years. I run my own company from home, of which I'm the only employee. It's less than ideal, but basically if I don't work, the company doesn't make money, I don't get paid, and customers get annoyed and I possibly lose them and their work forever.
I worked through having COVID, and another serious illness. I will take my foot of the gas a bit when feeling properly bluhhhh but manage to still remain productive.
tonnerrrrr@reddit
365
LavenderClouds6@reddit
My work policy only allows us 3 accounts of sickness within any 12 month period :/ you could take a few days off in a row at each time, but in the UK more than a week requires a doctors note
cmrndzpm@reddit
I work through most colds, sicknesses etc because I can work from home and need to save my sick days for when my mental health hits the floor and I physically can no longer function.
I-Spot-Dalmatians@reddit
Normally 3-4 at a guess?
Spaghetti3000@reddit
Generally a few days per year. I get full sick pay and work hybrid. If I'm super busy and stressed at work, I'll usually persevere through the illness (albeit WFH). If I'm less busy but struggling with productivity due to being a bit ill, I'll take the afternoon off sick so I'm on better form the following day.
Curious_Buy_3955@reddit
Probably average two days a year but some years it’s none and some years it’s five
Mr-Najaf@reddit
0 in 10 years
ConsistentCatch2104@reddit
I take all I’m allowed and then a few more that are unpaid. Usually I’m not actually sick, but looking after sick kids. As I don’t get paid parental leave I use my sick leave.
KitFan2020@reddit
All of them (max allowed before monitoring).
If I’m ill I stay off.
Ket_Cz@reddit
Whenever I’m ill, 0 in the last year 🫠
Funny-Hovercraft9300@reddit
15 day is maximum
Grand_Combination386@reddit
I haven't had a sick day in 4 years. To be fair I WFH 3 days and am in the office 2 days. I'm sure if I worked in the office 5 days then on the occasions that I have worked while not feeling 100% I would have gone off sick. So I think this is one of the major upsides of WFH from the employer perspective.
Aaron123111@reddit
Minus Covid when people had to isolate etc I’ve had 3 days sick in 6 years
Viola_m@reddit
None. Took some sick days a few years ago due to a major surgery. But other than that, none.
spastikknees@reddit
All of them .
Affectionate-Law9142@reddit
I don’t get sick pay so I don’t take any days if I can help it 🤣
KindIndependence2003@reddit
Tldr: Maybe 3
I was sick for an entire month recently. Normally I get ill a couple of times a year, but later on in life I've started looking after myself more and started to take more time off if I'm feeling unfit to work.
It's selfish to go in to make money and risk making other people sick, more so than not being arsed to go in and risk there being more slack to be picked up because you weren't there. Businesses should always account for absences/sickness, if you're letting a company down and causing it to crumble because you're ill (which isn't your fault at all btw) that's the companies fault for not hiring enough staff or being reasonable with workloads.
Never feel guilty for being ill, if your job is being an arse about what holidays you can have also then sometimes you have to take a sneaky sick day to actually experience life because life is too short. You're just a number to your workplace and always replaceable. Try and do a good amount of work so you're happy with yourself and not making anyone else pick up your slack, unless you hate your job and they won't make any adjustments for you, then a good old fashioned slow down and feet drag is well deserved.
Some jobs I have taken 0 because I've not been ill, I.E I've worked there for over a year, only had a slight cold, didn't hate the job entirely.
My current job they fuck about with contracts all the time saying we're understaffed and then overstaffed, and I'm too old to not take the odd couple opportunities to actually go on holiday because I can't book my own time off of work just because there's a couple people off for a couple of overlapping days, my company has thousands of employees locally, they CAN get cover for me but they won't, so fuck them, I'll get extra holiday time off because they won't accommodate it, and TBF I am at that point sick (sick of working looololololol)
Darkwaxer@reddit
Every day people go into work feeling ‘meh’. Are you ill or not?
Ben_VS_Bear@reddit
As many as I require really. My company has a lovely system where if you're sick for 5 or more days they get upset and tell you off with the nice lie that it's "to work out how best to support you." If you go sick again for any length of time within 13 weeks, have a second period of 5+ days off, or exceed 10 days total in a 52 week period, you go to stage 2 where they start threatening you with HR etc. then if you go sick again for anything within 52 weeks they might decide to advance you to stage 3 even if it was just a day and ultimately stage 4 could be dismissal. Genuinely had a guy who's son died get stuck on this attendance procedure when he took time off to deal with that, management made the choice to do this to him.
So, when I do need sick leave I honestly couldn't give a fuck how many days I'm off, it's so rare that I may as well recover and have a few days off beyond that because I'll be treated the same as those that game the system taking 4 days off twice a year like it's extra holiday and honestly I'm not sure I can blame them for that.
RuthlessRemix@reddit
I’ve been in my current job for almost ten years and I’ve taken 11 days sick. I only call in if I physically can’t go in and I get full sick pay. That’s how I was bought up but many people take the piss there.
Original--Lie@reddit
After about 5 years working for my current employer, I took a day off with a cold.
My line manager had to call HR because he couldn't find my sickness record file. Basically, it turned out I didn't have one because I had never been sick.
Same employer is now making me have meetings with HR because I took 3 days off sick last year.
Doomergeneration@reddit (OP)
See this is also my attitude but I seem to be the only one like that at my work
Chriswheela@reddit
Don’t be like them
TravellingMackem@reddit
Too many people see it as an additional annual leave allowance that they’re missing out on if they aren’t sick.
We had someone in the office who took two occasions which we all knew were her taking the piss, but then actually got ill after that - to the point I had to send her home as her LM. Ended up at HR and on an action plan for 3 occurrences in 12 months.
BeyondAggravating883@reddit
An action plan for 3 occasions ? I’d take two months off with stress while looking for a better place to work. Jesus!
TravellingMackem@reddit
2 in 6 or 3 in 12 is fairly common for HR intervention in the U.K.
RuthlessRemix@reddit
You are right to feel like this. They’re lazy and you are doing the right thing. Keep going 👊🏻
CosmicDance2022@reddit
How much did you charge the person who bought you up?
RuthlessRemix@reddit
Sorry what?
dcute69@reddit
How much did you pay your parents for raising you? Jeez, its not a hard question
RuthlessRemix@reddit
I don’t think I understand the question. I think the person above noticed a typo and thought they were smart, but not quite smart enough
dcute69@reddit
Yeah, it wasn't funny or smart, my previous comment was mocking them
CosmicDance2022@reddit
Ahh you edit your post as as it said 'bought up' before.
RuthlessRemix@reddit
Did it? or was you wrong? 😏
CosmicDance2022@reddit
You shouldn't post conversations that you have with yourself whilst stood naked in front of your mirror.
RuthlessRemix@reddit
It was a typo. Grow up. You’re not big or clever or even funny, you just look like a nob
JennyW93@reddit
*or were you wrong
wglwse@reddit
It's were not was
granculo94@reddit
Interesting that you think its selfish to take time off, I think its selfish to go into work and potentially give it to everyone else
GetNooted@reddit
The selfish thing is spreading viruses. If you're contagious don't be around people. Presenteeism is really annoying. Did we learn nothing from covid.
Same-Shit-New-Day@reddit
None, I think I'm blessed or cursed with a good immune system.
KeyContent6603@reddit
You only take a sick day if you are so unwell you can't do your job... for me that's been about 5 days in the last 20 years..
BarryFairbrother@reddit
None on average. I’m not an old-school martyr who boasts about it and infects his colleagues. It’s just the kind of job I’m in - I’m the only one qualified by law to do certain tasks, plus it’s deadline-based, and the deadline doesn’t extend just because I’m miss a day. Usually missing a day has worse mental and fatigue r consequences than working while ill. Obviously if I’m bedbound then I’ll take the day off sick, but I’m lucky that that is very rare.
UniqueEnigma121@reddit
365
missxtx@reddit
I was in my last job for 16 years and had 2… yes 2 sick days in that 16 years both of them were in my first 3 years.
Been in my new job 2 weeks short of a year and again not had 1 sick days in that. I don’t get paid in my new job for sick days.. so would be very reluctant to take one. But of course I wouldn’t go to work if I had a really bad bug.. everyone at my works been off lately with this flu bug.. leaving us really short most weeks.. Iv been expecting to get it. But so far all rosy xx
moffb88@reddit
Haven’t had one in years
Theodin_King@reddit
2 or 3
Independent-Tie2324@reddit
None but I work from home so I rarely get sick.
Fun_Stock7078@reddit
2 days off in 9 years, I am very rarely ill. Those two days were hangovers.
Superspark76@reddit
I'm constantly ill because of medications, unless I'm unable to walk, I'm working.
Happy-Heart2657@reddit
My company is merging and Im too scared to take a sick day incase I have to “fight” for a role and they use it against me. So work til i die currently 😊🤔
jamesflanagangreer@reddit
365
DogtasticLife@reddit
Self employed so none
fluxpeach@reddit
As a tattoo artist I just can’t work if I’m too sick. I’m not gonna fuck with permanently marking someone’s body for a pay check and there’s a chance it’s going to affect the quality of my work.
Feeling_Pen_8579@reddit
Learned the hard way ploughing through when I had covid, the amount of basic mistakes I made was embarrassing.
fluxpeach@reddit
yup. and then you spend 2x a long correcting those mistakes, so it takes longer anyway. some things can’t be powered through🥹 but as self employed, even if i’m not ‘at work’ i’m still working if i can; admin, drawing etc. has to be pretty bad for me to turn off completely
Squidgewidge@reddit
Snap on tattooing. It makes it bloody difficult when you’ve also got chronic illness/no immune system, but I’m pretty open about that with clients and hope that they’re understanding if I ever need to reschedule because I’ve had a fit in the night or something has happened.
That almost never happens thank god, but like you said, any chance of affecting the work? I’d rather take the hit and reschedule them, and give a solid tattoo as opposed to the alternative.
Matt_Moto_93@reddit
My wife is self employed, she;'s a therapist and if she's not completly on the ball then she can deliver unsafe therapy. Some professions you just have to call it. I always tell my wife to bank on earning money for 10 months of the year - leaving time for annual leave and sick days.
GruffScottishGuy@reddit
There's also the fact you're working in very close proximity to them. I'm sure they also respect you not passing on whatever you've got.
RealWord5734@reddit
Weird, I am self-employed so I take sick days whenever I choose. Actually been amazing for my mental health because there is no guilt. I don't feel like working today and I'm not going to - and since I won't be billing you, I don't care what your feelings are about it.
DogtasticLife@reddit
Lucky you
MattStanni99@reddit
Same here, I’d have to be lying on my death bed to call in sick. If I take a day off I ain’t getting paid for it
broken_freezer@reddit
Shouldn't being self emoyed bring more money so that we can manage our own sick days if we need to?
windtrees7791@reddit
In an ideal world, yes.
But in the current climate, depending on your chosen trade of course, people just don't seem to have as much disposable income to spend on our services, it's a cycle.
Customers have less money to spend, we get less customers and therefore money, need to work more/harder to get more money.
broken_freezer@reddit
Ah I get that, I'm self employed too but I'm on my daily rate and get a pretty confident workflow so can plan ahead. I suppose it's different when you get paid on a contract to contract basis, and there's even a chance of not having work when you're healthy and fit
windtrees7791@reddit
We also have the added pressure (trade dependant) that if you don't turn up for your agreed contract, you would more than likely lose that contract.
In my trade I only need one 'permanent' contract, but if I lose that my income would suffer massively.
broken_freezer@reddit
That sounds pretty stressful, may I ask what you do?
deadgoodundies@reddit
Tell me you are not self-employed without saying you are not self-employed /s
deadgoodundies@reddit
Same here: Do you find that you get less sick from when you were employed?
I've probably had 2 days off in 25 years (and that was because of Norovirus) , it's like my body goes SICK!!!! don't be bloody daft you aren't allowed to be sick.
BeatificBanana@reddit
I find I get sick less often than when I was employed, but only because I now work from home so I don't have to squash myself onto busy public transport and don't have as many opportunities to catch colds.
Watchnut224@reddit
Never been paid sick pay so never had time off!
Old-Candy4645@reddit
I haven't taken a day off in 6 years, not because I'm going in sick but because I don't get sick
Icy_Shoulder2393@reddit
Pretty rarely maybe one or two a year at most
RTSchofield@reddit
15 years and never taken a sick day. I've been ill, but not bad enough to warrant a day off.
Expert-Wolverine-482@reddit
Usually when I’m sick or need a mental health day - 2-5 days per year in recent years
pickledp3ar@reddit
If you're sick, call in sick. Don't give your colleagues your illness and take time to rest and heal. Your employers are not more important than your health and wellbeing.
Penderyn@reddit
Probably on average about 2/3 a year or less. I don't work with anyone like this any more but some people absolutely take the piss and should be sacked.
Helzibob@reddit
I’ve not taken any sick leave since 2018. I’d get 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay if I ever needed it. I’m glad of the safety net but also grateful to not need to use it.
Consistent-Time-2503@reddit
None.
My mum told me if I was too sick to go to school I was too sick to leave my bed or watch TV.
Anyway, I had all my wisdom teeth removed and I worked from home the next day because I was well enough to watch TV, I'm well enough to work...... I didn't take any calls though cos it hurt to move my mouth.
Gc1981@reddit
My long term average is probably 1 week per year. I've had a lot of years with none but had a minor op that took 2 weeks, a slipped disc 2 weeks and an ear infection 2 weeks.
My mate had zero sick days for 15 years then moved to a job that had paid sick leave. He had that much in his first year alone.he was put on a PIP.
ME-McG-Scot@reddit
Ive had about 3 days off in 10 years 😂
Mysterious-Owl754@reddit
None. Haven’t been ill yet this century 🤷🏼♂️
InevitablePen3465@reddit
Whenever I'm sick. I
Tez7838@reddit
I’m salary paid & get 6mths full pay & 6 months at 50% for sick but will do my upmost to attend work & I can go a good few years without any absences BUT there have been times due to new line management or staff reshuffles that I’ve been treated poorly or been spoken to like a piece of shit . I have & will take time off when this happens , at a minimum 4 x weeks & the most I’ve had is 5 months. I don’t fuck about .
Anicanis@reddit
It's really unsettling when people don't care about making others sick. Please stay home when you're not okay
Crab-Stick-Man@reddit
As many as I can get away with
petermofo@reddit
My HR policy says after the third occurrence in a 12 month period I need to have a meeting/action plan. Each occurrence can be up to 5 days. So taking one day is as bad as having a week off..... So 15 days off a year (rolling) is as bad as having three single days off......
lennythebox@reddit
I went about 8 years without taking a day. Then I got the flu + sinusitis and was off for two full weeks. A few months later I took one day off. I'm currently on review for sickness
Background_Baby4875@reddit
good.
no review for sickness would lead to 10x in sickness, its not a bad thing
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
Eh? Explain that logic?
Background_Baby4875@reddit
NHS 6 months pay, you think if people can take it all and when you come into work no question that others won't think, ill have a piece of that?
the stages if to scare people off, and to not make it look so easy
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
Surely someone else in the NHS would have to sign them off sick for that length of time....then you're in this territory
BeyondAggravating883@reddit
Really, shameful treatment.
6Clacks@reddit
I took 6 months off last year. I was in heart failure so needed time off to get better and have surgery so I guess it’s an exception lol
But because of my health I take 3-4 sick days a month when I feel like poo
I get full sick pay
Spazza42@reddit
Just enough to land under the Bradford score.
Jokes aside, enough to get better when I’m actually too sick to work.
Ok_Attitude55@reddit
Worked current job 8 years, probably been off 2 or 3 days most years, couple of years none, most was a week off with Covid.
abcdefu2k@reddit
Maybe 1 or 2 occasions in the year where im literally too ill to go in
bananaspapayas@reddit
0
Alone-Inflation4201@reddit
Depends what you value more, free time or your job. I know my jobs absence management policy inside out, therefore I take the maximum amount of sick days a year without repercussions.
GordonW25@reddit
Two in seven years, rarely get unwell
Spud788@reddit
As a self employed person this entire post feels dystopian! I can't imagine not being 'Allowed' to be sick... Just saying it out loud is ridiculous.
cefell@reddit
I’ve been self employed for about 17 years and reckon I’ve had 6 sick days in the whole time. Stop setting yourselves up for sick days. It’s a p!ss take. You don’t “take” them and calculate them you “need” they’re not free holidays! If you’re genuinely sick and need time off… take the time off, as many days as you need to get better. If you’re well enough to work but don’t want to come in because you’ll infect others then work from home or offer to do something else to help your employer from home.
kellylc@reddit
Casiofx83gt@reddit
Now I have a toddler I’m ill far more often! Luckily my company understand illness happens and since I’m customer facing and often in healthcare most customers wouldn’t want me there anyway!
VonBlitzk@reddit
Been at my company 4 years and I have taken 2.
Panda-Feisty@reddit
None. Because I stay healthy and have a strong constitution.
Correct_Task_3724@reddit
Zero until my disability started then it started off once a week until I was unable to go at all.
JoBoSoMo@reddit
I was a model employee without any sick days for 4 years, then management decided to be a holes, then I took 102 sick days and enjoyed that time off whilst looking for another job.
adamMatthews@reddit
I don’t really take sick days anymore since being able to work from home. I did a few years ago and I think sitting around doing nothing made me feel worse than if I had something to do.
Now I just tell my manager I’m unwell, I’m not setting an alarm this week so might be late starting in the mornings, and if I go offline it’s because I’ve gone to bed or to throw up. I realise this isn’t good advice for everyone, but it works well for me and it’s what I prefer.
I’ve never ended up missing any hours of work, but I would feel zero guilt if I did someday. For some reason that selfish feeling you talks about completely goes away in my mind if I test myself to see if I actually can work or not.
I feel like if I had no option but to be in the office I’d be taking three weeks off a year at the moment, I catch colds and bugs so often, and I feel like that’s be way worse for my mental health than what I currently do.
Powerful-Scratch-107@reddit
I've not been off work since early 2019, couple of days with Noro Virus.
I was close going off over Christmas because of the way the managers treat us like shit at times, but I made it through.
daxamiteuk@reddit
When I get a cold, I sneeze and cough a lot and have nonstop running nose, it’s horrible for me and anyone else nearby .
So I always take 3 days off per year for a cold, and then it could be 0-2 more days for something else. Last year I had a really bad virus and took 5 days off at start of year and 3 days in march , that was a massive change.
Brettles1986@reddit
I get ripped all the time for sick days at work, whenever questioned though I always state that me being ill and in close proximity to others will likely render more people being off which is worse for productivity than just me, generslly though I work from home if feeling crappy
chillabc@reddit
I haven't had a sick day in the last 7 years.
Not that I wasn't ever sick, but it's almost frowned upon to not go to work even if you are in my industry.
Royal-Pay9751@reddit
About 2. But I don’t get paid for them being self employed so it sucks
Existing-Shoe_2037@reddit
Well, I take as many as I'm sick, which varies. My work have the discretion to pay me full pay for all of them.
NaturalSuccessful521@reddit
I'm in hospitality, so if I'm sick, either the team struggle one person down or someone goes in on their day off to cover. I take sick days if I'm really really sick or if I feel that my illness is a type that might infect others. Nobody at my work really takes the piss.
LJ161@reddit
Last year I got to December and realised I hadn't taken a single day. Even through 1st trimester exhaustion and all day morning sickness. So when a stomach bug swept through our office I toom the opportunity and took 3 days. We are allocated 10 in our company (full pay).
affordable_firepower@reddit
When I'm too ill to work, I call in sick.
I called in last Thursday, before a day off on Friday. My boss was more concerned that i was ok for my day off than what work I had to do.
A few years ago, I was off sick for 14 months after collapsing and nearly dying at work
EstablishmentUsed325@reddit
Yes. If you are genuinely unwell you should take a sick leave and take time to fully recover. Soldiering through is not good for anyone in the long run.
McDeathUK@reddit
Not taken a sick day in my current job for as long as I can remember, so it’s been ant least 20 years even when I got Covid (last time I was ill) I worked from home. I am not against them, would just rather work. I hate folks who bring illness into an office though like some kind of fucking hero.
Buffsteve24@reddit
Less than it takes to trigger any potential action from my employer, I also don't notice my direct reports or subordinates of my direct reports going over the threshold that would trigger action (unless they're blatantly taking the mick then I notice)
kahnindustries@reddit
I have unlimited sick days at work
I haven’t taken one in 15 years though
_Frog_Enthusiast_@reddit
I’ve had 4 sick days off in the past 3 months, mainly from food poisoning
RefrigeratorApart544@reddit
Never really. Worked for the same guy for 18yrs maybe had about 1 month sick that whole time. I just just grin an bare it unless I have sickness an diarrhoea. But I'm honestly never really ill
Growling_Salmon@reddit
Zero.
Dry_Command_372@reddit
none, I WFH alot so when I feel ill or tired I just work from bed or whatever.
The_Deadly_Tikka@reddit
Depends how many days I'm sick, what the fuck is this question? It's usually just a few days a year. For example I think it was one last year and so far 2 this year.
artrald-7083@reddit
Since WFH came along, damn few. If I'm contagious but can still work I WFH. Only if I'm not really up for getting out of bed will I take a sick day.
Ocean682@reddit
I only do it if genuinely unwell. In my last job I’m thinking 1-3 times a year I called in sick.
Mattjv85@reddit
Zero
Iwantedalbino@reddit
I had months off for a broken leg.
Probably a day a year is normal. Went 4 years perfect attendance.
Had knee surgery last year so was out for a fortnight.
So probably 3 a year all in.
littleboo2theboo@reddit
3-4 and I'm sorry to say I wasn't sick on any of them. Once it was for a job interview, once it was because my husband had got some very bad news, once because of a builder, once because of a plumber. If I could work from home flexibly I would not have taken any.
Gaping_Whole_@reddit
Any time I feel unwell enough to work, as well as any time I cba to work. Add in mandatory in between periods so as not to flag with HR (3 periods of sick = a welfare meeting) and enjoy.
justanothergin@reddit
I took a mental health day today, I average about 8-10 sick days per year. But my work encourages people to take days off even if we feel mildly off as the type of work I do requires me to be sharp.
OverSeasoned_@reddit
I work with children so a fair few 😂
Mikehaze91@reddit
Haven’t had a day off sick in 11 years myself
midweekbeatle@reddit
In my current job i only go off if im genuinely sick. I do get full sick pay. Im about to change jobs and will only go sick if i absolutely am dying on my feet as the new company dont pay sick at all
WorriedAppearance591@reddit
I think it depends, if you WFH it’s not as bad to work through illness but I’m immuno compromised and do hybrid working and I’ve gotten really really sick from people coming in whilst they’re sick and not taking proper measures like anti bac etc and then that means more people will be off sick if stuff spreads.
No-Communication2985@reddit
I think I've had 5 or 6 days off in the 18 years I've worked for the same company. But then again, I'm very rarely sick for some reason
christopher1393@reddit
Last yea I took about 25? But 20 of those was because I had a surgery that required about 4 weeks to recover. Was originally supposed to 2 weeks, but my recovery was slow. But since I had med certs to prove it, no issue.
The remaining 5 were just random sick days, mostly from catching whatever cold is flying around the office. I would rather take the day off to recover, then work for 2-3 days while sick and infect more in the office.
Im limited on sick days without doctors notes but our laws are pretty lenient, especially since covid.
MissRainbow18@reddit
Hardly ever, I've worked at my work for 15 years and I've called in ill a handful of times. Though I'm blessed that I don't get ill too often (or enough to affect work)
Satoshiman256@reddit
Not taken a sick day in 6 years
areafiftyfive@reddit
Probably about 2 a year if I averaged out the last decade. I’m becoming increasingly aware that by the end of February most people I work with have already taken at least two.
Seems the threshold is lower nowadays on what constitutes sick. I mean, if I am WFH then it would have to be chronic for me to feel justified in not working.
Probably should recalibrate and take a bit more off.
IvaPK@reddit
I get migraines that prevent me to seeing properly so of course I'm then unable to perform my sight-dependent job. It sucks for everyone involved but it's not something I can easily control. So the answer is: however many I need to. Usually not more than 10 full days a year.
Salt_Use3700@reddit
I never count, it is what it is. In recent years I’ve learnt to not feel guilty about sick days
HoneyBadgera@reddit
~3-5 on average I’d say.
BellamyRFC54@reddit
What is selfish is going in knowing you’re contagious in enclosed spaces
_Jay-Garage-A-Roo_@reddit
I’ve had a total of just over 6 weeks sick leave in the past 8 years for 2 x surgeries (and recoveries, one of which was 4 weeks) an emergency hospital visit and a bout of Covid. The other bout of Covid fell over the weekend.
memcwho@reddit
When I'm sick. And also when I WAS sick yesterday and it's now Friday. Better to have a double Saturday and feel actually better for Monday than being some big hard guy who does something daft while of his tits on cough medicine and working when he could have not been.
DeepSpaceNineInches@reddit
I don't get sick pay, so if I can make it into work I do, even if I'm really sick and wish I was in bed.
Clothes_Chair_Ghost@reddit
I am mostly work from home. So I only take the days I am too ill or in too much pain to get out of bed or focus.
Erheniel@reddit
One or two days probably.
My old workplace used to give 2 days a year for paid sick leave, but if you went the entire without any sick leave, then you got an extra day of annual leave the next year. Made no sense to me.
Iamamancalledrobert@reddit
Average is misleading for me as I’ve had more this year than the last three combined; it’s been a bit of a brutal time
Past-Leading-2880@reddit
I find the regulations regarding sick days quite awful in the UK. I get 5 days which renew every year, and I've seen collegues who came in to work with fever and Covid for example. Because their symptoms "weren't bad enough to justify staying at home". WTF? A lot of people choose to come in sick, which on one hand can cause further health issues, and worsen their condition, or unnecessarily lenghten their recovery period. Second, they spread whatever they have around the office/workshop causing more people to go to work while sick. And if you use up your days, you automatically take the rest as holiday unless you specifically ask for having it as unpaid leave. This is a joke. In Hungary, it's mandatory for workplaces to give 15 days throughout the year, for which you get 70% of your base pay. The rules in the UK are just wild, and mostly depend on if you get lucky and find a good company to work at.
I've been with this company for 3 years now, and only taken 3 days last October when I caught the flu. Having a cold atm, but I'm going to work because "it's not bad enough to justify staying at home". When in Rome...
ThickTadpole3742@reddit
Some years I don't take any. I think last year I took three.
Unstableavo@reddit
In 2 years I only had 1 sick day. But that's because I don't get sick alot and like to be the last man standing kind of thing and don't like letting people down
TemporarySprinkles2@reddit
Going to take my first days off as sick the end of this week for a minor procedure that requires recovery. I never take sick days as I'm generally in good health and have the ability to WFH if I get a bad cold. If it's really bad then my boss sees that I'm unwell and just tells me to log off as I do enough work the rest of the time
Puzzled-Quail2076@reddit
Usually go to work if feeling sick, call in sick when hungover lol
DamnItsMikey94@reddit
My job put out a new policy, if you contribute up to 4% of lost time in a rolling 12 months you receive a warning, this adds up to 7 days sick. But if you have a week off sick and provide a sick note, it counts as 1. It’s very bizzare lmao.
zoltan_g@reddit
Depends if I'm sick. Two years ago I was off work for almost 5 weeks as I was in an accident. Some years I've only been off sick for a few days.
frankie_0924@reddit
None because I don’t get paid for them!
crashfistfight123@reddit
You guys take sick days every year?
KatVanWall@reddit
I’m self-employed, so none - no sick pay for me 😓
T1nyChem1cal@reddit
probably not legal or ethical but im only allowed to take 3 sick days a year - 4 days and i get a verbal warning, 5 days and i get a written warning.
for context - i work at a small business (im talking 8 employees and 1 manager)
Lip_Vimpster96@reddit
I had over 130 in 2023
No_Art_1977@reddit
Im generally lucky with my health so rarely but also work flexibly so feel pressure to work at home when I’m actually unwell. I ended up delivering training to a team online from home when I was really ill with covid
Ruadhan2300@reddit
Honestly WFH has probably greatly reduced the number of sick-days I take.
Sick enough to not want to travel is not as bad as "can't work"
ArtificialPigeon@reddit
I get 30 paid sick days.. So 30
Patient-Lab-7668@reddit
I worked for a government organisation for a significant amount of time. The work culture was toxic to say the least. There were plenty of people within the office that would be off for 6 months full pay before coming back for a year to reset the clock and be off for another 6 months. Became very clear pattern in people and was infuriating to watch. I left that job 5 years ago and I’ve only had a week off since and that was for a surgery. My take away from it is, if you enjoy your job then you’re less likely to abuse the sickness policy.
Youtalkingtomyboobs@reddit
Not very often, I’ve had 1 sick day in the last 2 years and that’s because I couldn’t get out of bed with a migraine. Wfh has blurred those lines also because the flexibility means that if I’m not feeling too great I’ll stay at home, rather than going sick, although the last time I did this I decided it was the final time as not everyone’s that conscientious.
From an employer point of view we have triggers, I think it’s 4 separate occasions, or 10 consecutive days that trigger the first point where a meeting with a manager is required.
hlvd@reddit
None if I’m feeling good and healthy.
Gooby1992@reddit
Whenever I am too sick, I don’t go in 🤷🏻♂️ last year I had 4 days, but I was signed off with stress for 3 weeks, so I had to have a meeting with my manager and the HR lady about it.
Haunted_Entity@reddit
Ive not taken a sick day in over ten years.
Im luckily enough to wfh so if im ill, i just try to avoid meetings , but can still work.
If i had to go in the office full time, trust me, there would be sick days. Most cos of mental stress
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaadam@reddit
I've had years where it's zero and others where it's more than 60. So, it depends.
Constant-Rutabaga-11@reddit
None because am not a lazy and what is a day here or there going to achieve? And in my work if you’re off ill you will be subjected to torrent of abuse when you turn back in.
indiegirl1980@reddit
Think I’ve had 2 times off since I started my current job (so since 2021)
First was for covid which I got about 4 months after starting, back then you had to isolate and all that jazz.
The second time was because I’d been bitten by tick then developed the rash so had to take antibiotics that made me feel sick as a dog.
BagIll2355@reddit
Since I went 💯wfh not had one sick day. I worked through double pneumonia last summer with. a lot of power naps and understanding bosses
Feeling_Pen_8579@reddit
I never had a sick day for 15 years, but being a hero and going in only made me worse. I'm having one today, two day splitting migraine (actually a inner ear infection) means I can barely stand let alone work, years ago I was in, now, no, I'm more a hindrance.
PhantomSteve2000@reddit
In the last year, I've had 0 days.
I the last 2 years, it's 1 day (ironically, the day I had off ill was 2 days before the end of the assessment year, so I got an "had time off sick" score rather then the perfect score I'd have got if the assessment was 2 days later!).
In the last 5 years, I've had 3 days off (2 of those were the day after my COVID boosters).
In the last 10 years, I think I've had 5 or 6 days off ill.
If I'm well enough to get into work, I go.
TurqoiseJade@reddit
I hate when people come in with viruses I find that more selfish. They spread through the team like wildfire. Especially if they are ok sick wise and not going to trigger etc xx
paulgal1985@reddit
We’re allowed 2 weeks max with 3 separate occasions. I’ve been off once in 17 months
NumeroRyan@reddit
Funny you say this as I have called in sick this morning, have an awful flu and haven’t eaten since Friday but I still feel bad for taking the day.
What I’ve learnt though, no one cares if you take it off, no one cares if you push through it. The only thing that suffers if you push through it is you, and possibly your work.
sunflowergirrrl@reddit
Hope you’re feeling better soon
NumeroRyan@reddit
Thank you!
smokinbeatz@reddit
I’ve got the same, its absolutely floored me. Day 5 and i’m still dealing with the worst symptoms.
sunflowergirrrl@reddit
Hope you’re feeling better soon
Matt_Moto_93@reddit
if you turn up to work with the 'flu then I imagine people are gonna be pretty pissed off as well.
Western_Estimate_724@reddit
For years, I used to take 3 - not on purpose, just coincidence that most years I'd get a flu type thing at some point in winter which would be a couple of days in bed, then a random stomach bug at some point in summer which would usually need a day.
I've currently not had a sick day for two years - I honestly think it's not commuting, a mixture of WFH 3 out of 5 days since the pandemic, and deciding to walk home 1.5hrs for fitness on my office days rather than get the tube home. So I'm on the old Picadilly line two mornings a week on average and infinitely healthier!
Previous-Ad7618@reddit
Average over my whole career of 12 years has been 1 day a year.
thatscotbird@reddit
When I’m too sick to work I take sick days. I don’t limit them, I don’t count them. When I was a hot young healthy 22 year old, I think I took one sick day my first year of full time work, would have been more if I wasn’t sick over the weekend.
In 2023 when I was pregnant? I think I was off 50% of the time lol.
I have had periods of time off for metal health purposes too. I took 6 weeks off work sick when my dad died, but my dad just didn’t die… he found out on the Friday that he had cancer all over his body and was going to die, he lasted until Monday night. This was after my mums third chemotherapy treatment for her cancer. It’s amazing i returned to work so quickly tbh
Spondu@reddit
In your 20s the sick days are supposed to be for comedowns, dirty Sunday night stop outs, hangovers 🤣
Nedonomicon@reddit
At the start of my last job I didn’t take a sick day for 4 years , by the end I was taking nearly a months worth per year 😂
Now I’m self employed and I don’t feel ill any more 🤷🏻♂️
harshil9@reddit
Think the average in a year is about 4-5 days, usually 1 full week someone's out, or someone is sick twice in a year for 1-3 days.
Feel like this is changing with more hybrid working, and in some roles people are forcing through more.
I previously had to take a full day off if my laptop was in the office and I was feeling a bit too unwell to commute in.
Now, I may work 2hrs in the morning and join an important meeting, and I work in consulting so I record a timesheet and can input hours as sickness.
On the other hand, I may feel a bit crap working from home and may just log off and take the rest of the day off whereas I previously would've just soldiered on in the office.
brickbaterang@reddit
I've mostly worked as a chef in assisted living/nursing homes so more than most people. If i come into work sick i can actually kill people, particularly if it's a g.i. bug or something
ClericalRogue@reddit
Depends on how often I am too sick to work. Last year it was 8 days. The year before, I took 2 months off after a bereavement and struggling to cope afterward. Before that, I was averaging 2 sick days a year.
The older I get, the less I care what the company needs and the more I care about what I need for my own well-being.
Supersonic-Zafonic@reddit
We don't get sick pay unless we contract Covid!
THE-HOARE@reddit
I just took a week off.
Careful_Adeptness799@reddit
Back in my 30s I did like 5 years without taking a single day. Then kids and my 40s hit and it takes longer to shift all the stuff they bring home. No more than a week a year though. Most things you can shake off in 48 hours.
Kupo-Moogle@reddit
I take as many as I need and I don't care if management call me in. I'm I'm the care sector and one of my service users is in her 90s and on end of life. A colleague came in yesterday morning actually with proper flu like symptoms and myself and 2 others were like "go home. Why the fuck have you even come in?"
orange_assburger@reddit
I work from home for the most part - so most times I'm sick I no longer have to be "off" if I'm genuinely too ill to function or have a migrane I don't work.
Nobody really tracks it though- I just tell my manager I am ill and I don't work that day and cancel any meetings. We get the work done so it's not really an issue.
Wish kore business was like this.
Both-Ad-7037@reddit
Well the last company I worked at only allowed 3 sick days a year without a manager saying otherwise. I always used to approve any sick leave above that as I didn’t want someone with flu coming in and infecting others. And they wouldn’t be productive anyway. Other managers, however, wouldn’t approve it and we resulted in the office being a plague house every year from November-February. If you are ill, stay at home.
noticemyboobssenpai@reddit
You should be more selfish my coworkers very rarely take days off even when they're sick and I've been trying to convince to make more days off because of how disgustingly stress full our jobs are, it's given me chronic headaches and migraines so idk how they cope never taking days off
K1mTy3@reddit
In the decade before having children, I could count how many instances of sick leave I'd had on one hand.
I had more sick leave during my eldest's first 3 years (maternity leave not included) than I'd had, well, ever... So many upset stomachs!
These days I work in a hospital & we keep getting reminders not to come in with cold & flu symptoms, and I have a longer commute - 65 minutes on a good day, instead of 25 on a bad day. It means I'm more likely to wave a white flag & take a sick day if I'm feeling ropey; I've taken 2 days off this year for a respiratory infection (worse than a cold but wasn't flu, could have been RSV as that was doing the rounds at work.)
Ochib@reddit
As many as I need
claretkoe@reddit
Everyone knows the ones that take the piss don't they.
For me, If I'm too sick to work, I'll not work, but it's probably been a few years since I've had to do that
daz1987@reddit
I get over 40 paid sick days a year, but it's very easy to hit a trigger for disciplinary so I only take time off if I really need it.
For example, just been at work the entire weekend just gone, I'm full of the cold, but if I take any time off within the next few months I'll get hit with a disciplinary because I had time off a few months ago with a gym injury.
a_paulling@reddit
Far too many, I've got some as yet undiagnosed immune thing and I get sick constantly.
ExiledWiganer@reddit
3 days in the last 2 weeks - the joy of having a 2 year old that passes on D&V. But in the past I've been 4 or 5 years with none but of course went in at times then when I shouldn't have. Now I'm more cynical these days so if I am sick and would feel a struggle to go in then I will ring in sick
sunflowergirrrl@reddit
Hope you’re both feeling better now
BusStrong8475@reddit
I'm not allowed a sick day for 6 months so I go in sick all the time.
HerbTP@reddit
I'm lucky as I am very rarely ill, but last year, I caught covid for the first time. It must have beaten up my immune system as I caught flu six weeks later. I took four days off for each illness.
It was very unusual, and lots of colleagues were worried about me, and I was told multiple times to take more time off (I must have looked like shite 😅)
I haven't been ill since. Ordinarily, I average 1-2 sick days a year.
Fantastic_Picture384@reddit
Not had a day off in 20 years.
EuroSong@reddit
Depends whether I’m sick or not. For several years I had zero sick days. Then I had a stroke, causing me to have three months off. I never calculate sick days as if they were annual leave. When I’m sick then I’m sick.
ambabeeee@reddit
I think it's more selfish to go in when you're unwell than staying at home! No one wants sick people at work with them
ComplexOccam@reddit
I take as many as I’m ill. In the last 12 months I’ve taken 2 days sick.
They pay in full up to 30 days so I’m really under utilising this. Won’t get a pay rise for it mind.
GlutenWarrior96@reddit
I have been in my job for 6-7 years. I struggled with the loss of a loved one and was off work for a month. I subsequently got put on a ‘sickness plan’. For context - I had been off maybe 2-3 days the 3 years prior so had a very good sickness record.
The workplace then put out a bonus to ‘retain staff’ and award them for their loyalty with the company. As I was on a sickness plan, they refused to give me this bonus. I had been with the company for 5 years at this point and had a very good sickness record apart from this valid month of sickness.
Therefore, if I feel unwell now, instead of forcing myself into work, I call in sick. You don’t get rewarded for a good sickness record so stuff it.
EatingCoooolo@reddit
If I’m perm i’ll take the max allowed. If I’m contracting I don’t take sick days.
LeKanePetit@reddit
Too many. I’m very depressed, eat like shit, barely sleep, and get sick all the time. Shocked I still have a job.
hairybastid@reddit
I'm self employed, so I'd have to be practically dead before I take a day off sick....
That being said, I had the best part of a year off with cancer in 2013/14, which really sucked financially, but I think if I'd carried on working, I wouldn't have survived the treatment.
Johnny_Vernacular@reddit
Mode average would be none.
AzuSteve@reddit
Zero for the last 8 years.
Upvotelution@reddit
Zero.
About 5 years ago, I worked as a carnie and we were off season, back at the yard. The work environment was a lot more relaxed and the main work had been completed for the off season, with plenty of time left for odd jobs. I called in 'sick' that day, I wasn't sick, I was hungover. My boss was aware and cool with it, I was the only worker left at the yard by this point so literally nobody was affected. I could've worked and would've been fine after an hour or two in the workshop but I felt like the 'sick" day was more like me just asking my boss for the day off.
I don't remember any other times I called in sick in the last 10 years. Back when I was 18-25 I was more likely to call in sick, I think as I tried to balance independent living with mental illness. Sometimes taking 3-4 days in a year.
MediumAutomatic2307@reddit
I get 10 paid sick days a year. I’ve taken 1.5 days off sick in the past 5 years. 1 day the first time I had covid, and half a day when I had a truly horrendous migraine.
But, I work from home so I’m not contaminating anyone one if I go to work when I’ve got a cold. If I worked in an office, I’d be a bit more careful about not infecting other people.
Peter_Sofa@reddit
Zero since 2022 because I have not felt sick.
In 2022 5 days off with Covid.
Before then it was zero for years too, as I did not feel sick.
Though I do have the flu jab every year, that seems to help
evuljeenius@reddit
3 or 4 maybe over the year. I don't get sick often but if I'm not well I don't go to work and hate it when other people do come in sick. I don't want whatever you've got, stay at home.
Saying that I was signed off work for like 3 months last year with a knee injury and will be again this year if I finally get surgery.
But that's an exception to the rule.
Creepy-Bug-9758@reddit
On average 1-2. This year I have already taken 2 because I had a nasty flu.
If I am too sick to work properly, I don't. It's just not that common.
Deep_Age_304@reddit
Very few, particularly as I WFH 60% of the time. If I had to work in the office 100% of the time I'd take a lot more sick time though, at least a week a year.
Jacktheforkie@reddit
It really depends on the job, at the factory I took 3 in 15 months, at the train depot I was sick all the time because the equipment wasn’t fit for purpose, the 3 at the factory were car accident related
IllustriousBoot4319@reddit
I've not taken a sick day for maybe 15 years now.
Spaztic_monkey@reddit
Maybe 20 to 30 on average.
WinkyNurdo@reddit
Now that I’m fully remote, increasingly close to zero. Last year I had a few days for a world-ending migraine. Even if I’m shitting myself inside out there’s a reasonably good chance I can do some work for some of the day.
roland_right@reddit
Not what was asked but I take less now that I WFH. I can feel well enough to get behind a laptop at home (and take rests) but not well enough to get on a packed train and then spend the day with tissues up my nose.
BreadfruitFresh2974@reddit
As much as I possibly can
panic_attack_999@reddit
I think I've taken 3 days in the last 5 years. WFH has dramatically reduced the number of times I get ill.
Business-Spring760@reddit
Not enough
aacexo@reddit
You should be more selfish, if you die in the morning at work they would post your position by the afternoon
ThunderDaz@reddit
None last year. Worked through Covid too. Guess it depends on what your job is.
Kip-o@reddit
It’s selfish to go in when you’re sick, you put others at risk (on your commute + at your workplace).
It isn’t selfish to take a paid sick day that you’re entitled to. You don’t feel selfish when accepting your pay right? It’s the same thing.
topher2604@reddit
I'd say I'm off sick on average once per year, for three or four days.
One-Contest-2221@reddit
From someone who's chronically ill, I've had a lot of sickness the last year after a new illnesss started. Terrified of losing my job but they've been good about it thank god, and I haven't yet reached the limit where I need to worry.
coffeeebucks@reddit
Hardly any until I had children, because I could recover in the evenings/weekends. Now I have no downtime and if I’m feeling rotten on a Friday, I am probably the same or worse by the Monday.
tacticall0tion@reddit
Way more than I'd like to... I have an ongoing physical condition I'm awaiting surgery for, but as a result of this I have a lot of time off due to pain, and being unable to stand/walk for extended periods... I'm a metal fabricator, I kinda need to be able to move and stand. If you average it out, I take roughly 4 sick days a month.
We don't track sick days, my boss/company owner doesn't understand why he should be tracking time people are sick. "If you're sick, you shouldn't be at work. Why should I penalize you for something out of your control? I'd rather you be off, recover and come back healthy, rather than come in sick, kill yourself off, and end up off for an extended period."
fastestman4704@reddit
At least 3 because I'll take one every 4 months or so if I haven't been sick for a while and just feel eugh one morning. As many as I need to if I'm actually unwell though, I think the most in one year has been about 10.
GillzZ_22@reddit
Depends on how sick my kids get. The only times I take sick days are when they are sick and can't send them to nursery or childminder. I can't remember the last time I took a sick day because I was ill.
SaintDrogba@reddit
I’ve never taken one, but only because I’ve never been suck enough on a workday to warrant staying home.
Such_Asparagus2975@reddit
It varies depending on how often I get ill. Last year I had 3 episodes of sickness, I reacted badly to a new medication and was vomiting, then I got full blown flu (first time in my life and never again please) and then I got COVID. Wasn't a great year for me! Before those 3 I think it had been about 2 years since I had been off sick when I had pneumonia in Jan 2022. So some years it's none, some years it's more! My attitude is if I'm ill I'm ill, nothing I can do about it, and I'm not going to be that person that drags my germs around the office to everyone else!
sveferr1s@reddit
Self employed so I have to be on my death bed before I'm off sick.
Just having a day off because I can is a different matter, though.
TwentyOneClimates@reddit
Been at my current job for 7 years. I've had 7 days off sick in that time. Three of those were forced due to a positive COVID test. Some people will have that amount in a year alone.
NothingButPetrichor@reddit
As someone with a disability, I finish the year proud if I’ve only taken seven days off total. My last place of work I didn’t even have any sickness reviews! :o that was a good year for me!
Psionicers@reddit
We get full sick pay for 6 weeks and half pay for the next 6 weeks. 3 occasions in a rolling 12month period will trigger an absence review meeting, as will taking more than 8 days off in a rolling 12month period. With that in mind, i will unapologetically take 2/3 occasions off per 12 month rolling period not exceeding 8 days, Thats 7 extra holiday days a year, zero warnings.
Everyone else does it, so why not board the train.
(I know why not, i know how much sickies cost the UK economy each year, but i am a face in the croud looking out for myself)
lapenseuse@reddit
I took 7 last year and 5 of them were genuine. HR put me on a warning 🤐
bahumat42@reddit
1-2
Some years its zero, some it's a week. If I'm sick or really injured I will be off, if its just a heavy flu or something manageable I will WFH.
rohithimself@reddit
Generally I have been sick (mainly migraines ) 4 or 5 days in a year so far.
SmallCatBigMeow@reddit
Last year I took about two months, year before I took a month. Year before that only a couple of days. I am lucky that uk has legal protections in place to protect from discrimination if you are unwell. I’d be toast in many other parts of the world
Fecalfelcher@reddit
What a dumb fucking question
timedwards150@reddit
Had 3 days off in a year for sickness. A 1 and a 2
martyrees76@reddit
Before kids, I had 9 years without a day off sick (and then that was a week off to have my appendix out). Nowadays , maybe 10 a year. Kids get sick, I get sick. My last job, they frowned upon you being off sick, even though I was looking after vulnerable people. We’d get told to just take 2 paracetamol if we were ill. Cold? Take 2 paracetamol! Sick? 2 paracetamol! Lost a limb? 2 paracetamol. I was called in the office once because I’d taken a week off because my daughter was seriously ill in hospital and had to stay in for almost a week. We have 2 other kids and one of us had to be with her at all times (she was only 5)
I just hope new job is more understanding. Trust me, if I’m feeling shitty and it’s not contagious id rather be miserable at work than at home
Spikyleaf69@reddit
4 days last year, try not to have any if I can help it because the passive aggressive response is just horrible.
leachianusgeck@reddit
my company is pretty good with our sick leave policy, it used to be just 2 weeks full pay, then 2 weeks half pay, then just SSP but i was ill so much in my second year of working there (got covid, then side effects from covid like migraines which i was getting treated for but nothing was working at the time) that i went over my allotted 2 weeks which triggered them to review their policy. so now you get longer sick pay at full pay the longer you've worked there. pretty neat that imo!
i WFH, as are most at my work, so i try not to take too many (like i wouldnt take a sick day for hjaving a cold or flu unless it was severely impacting my ability to project manage, like if i was running a high fever and would be delirious). when i get migraines though i literally cant look at screens and have to take those days off. i take a couple of mental illness days off a year also because, well, i'm mentally ill lol. most days i can work, some i just cant bring myself to even get out of bed, nevermind shower/brush teeth/eat. some days i'll really push myself to work, will usually just stick in bed, keep cameras off but it's a balancing act because i dont want to burn out :) gotten very close to it multiple times over the past year, so sometimes i am a bit more 'selfish' because id rather have 1 day off now to do sweet FA to mentally recover, than risk burning out and taking weeks off from crashing
Leading_Screen_4216@reddit
I average one every few years. I can work from home, which helps when I'm feeling a little under the weather but well enough to work. But I'm also lucky enough to rarely get ill.
Crivens999@reddit
When I was a small kid (70s/80s), my Grandfather told me he never had a sickday. He was very proud of this. He died in his early 60s after being retired from work due to ill health (coal miner).
However it stuck with me, and when I started work in the 90s I didn't have a day off work due to sickness in about 8 years. I even came in while fairly ill, and my manager even used to laugh that I was a better worker as I didn't talk so much. Overall I don't think it made even a slight difference in what they thought of me.
We got took over in the 2000s, and the department next to us in the new building had a similar number of people to us (20-30). The company did an analysis of days off sick. Our worst department member was sick less than half of the days of their best member. The company a few months later then sent reminders to use up sick leave (or lose it) by the end of the working year. Explained that one. I still only had sick days when I was really sick, esp after realising I shouldn't be proud for soldiering on as I could infect everyone else. It didn't really make much difference to what they thought of me.
I now contract out for the same company but in another country. As I've got older I've needed real sick days here and there, but I'll admit in the last 10 years I have had a couple of sickies here and there. Not many, maybe two a year when I was down. But they don't pay me for sick days. I don't think it's made much difference to what they think of me anyway...
SoberDips@reddit
I use to have a fair few maybe 10 but now I’ve stopped drinking I find I don’t get as sick as often. Probably 2?
Crayons42@reddit
I take less time off sick now I mostly work from home. In the last year I have taken 3 days, but it really depends. Got Covid badly last year and took a week off.
Barmydoughnut24@reddit
Ive been in my current job just over 5yrs and ive taken 2 lots of 3 sick days in the last year cos of flu/fever like symptoms, but hadnt taken any before that, that wasnt in my control (i.e. someone in my family having covid). I feel bad taking time off anyway cos i still feel like i can be of use, and have probably pushed myself to work harder than i ideally needed too. I think part of it comes down to other people taking sick leave for very minor things and taking advantage a little and i dont want to get a rep for that thing, but i still know my boss understands if im genuinely ill.
broccoliforbrains@reddit
Work in a hospital so I get all the germs. Normally once a year but this year I've been off for 3 periods totalling 7 days as winter has been particularly bad this year. I think I've got some sort of long COVID as well because it's taking a long time to get over having a cold.
hotchillieater@reddit
Over the last couple of years, between 5 a year to 30, I think.
missuseme@reddit
Less than one day a year on average
SusieC0161@reddit
One year I had time off for a heart attacks and 2 bouts of pneumonia, one with sepsis. My sickness absence that year was about 4 months. Prior to that I wasn’t off for 6 years. It’s weird how (pretty much) every workplace always has one that can’t manage a month without taking time off sick.
kittikat__@reddit
I take 0, I’m one of those people who goes to work sick as I can’t afford to live otherwise. 🫣
But we should definitely be more “selfish!”
shortercrust@reddit
When I worked in the public sector I’d have two weeks a year. Now I in work in a small business and I’ve had one day in three and a half years.
Defiant-Insect-3785@reddit
I’m self employed so if I don’t work I don’t get paid. I think I’ve taken zero days off due to illness since lockdown. I only stay off it I can’t function.
oldskoolplayaR1@reddit
Had to do some work on this today - average UK sickness rate is 5.7 days pa which I thought was mad. I’ve been sick twice in 30 odd years and both of those times were for operations
72dk72@reddit
Zero. I have probably had no more than two weeks over 35 years of working. One week was enforced (COVID) and the other days ear infection (couldn't stand) and a tooth abscess.
Gullible_Razzmatazz1@reddit
0
backcountry57@reddit
Very few maybe one or two a year 90% of the time if I'm too sick to go to work then I can happily work from home.
Outside of feeling a bit rough with a cold or stomach bug there might be one or two days where I get something that completely floors me
AdOdd9015@reddit
Probably about 3-4 a year. I'm self employed so it can be tricky with deadlines, but I'll never work sick and pass my illness to my customers. If I'm sick, I'll have a day off and I personally think people who work sick to try prove something just prove to me that they're fucking morons.
005209_@reddit
0, other than being forced to go home when I tested positive for COVID, I haven't had a day off of work ever, nor school other than 2 days in year 3. I'm 26 for context aha!
Plenty of people at my work are often off for over a week every couple months so I often feel similar to you.
BroodLord1962@reddit
Longest stretch I ever did without a sick day was three and a half years.
missingpieces82@reddit
In total, since working from home, around 5-7 days annually. Before that, probably 2-3 weeks (up to 15 days).
A lot less likely to get sick when I’m not using public transport or being in an office. Even with my kids being at school.
Decent-Chipmunk-5437@reddit
I haven't had a sick day since Covid.
Since we moved to remote work I feel like there really aren't any excuses any more. If you're sick just work from home.
Careful-Swimmer-2658@reddit
Average of about four or five I guess.
Take more than 14 days or three occurrences at my job and you're banned for applying for promotion or transfer for up to three years.
ambientfruit@reddit
I've used two this year. I think I get another nine paid for this year. I only used two last year because I work from home so if I'm poorly, I just work. Also I work a weird AM shift so I get to nap in the afternoon if I need to.
If I had to commute, I would have been on at least twelve days last year. Commuting can get in the fucking bin if I'm ill.
Glad-Business-5896@reddit
I’ve not taken any in at least 2 years, but I have been sick. It just happened to happen over Christmas when I was on holiday anyway. My other colleague has taken around 10 maybe(?) but she has 3 kids so not all of those days were for her but because her kids were sixk
Ancient_hill_seeker@reddit
Zero.
griffaliff@reddit
Between three and five I'd say, some days I'm genuinely ill, others I just need a personal day to get my head together and sleep for twelve hours. I have inattentive ADHD so having a personal day once in a while is needed as a brief recharge.
sweetheartonparade@reddit
Took 3 days off in 2022 for a chest infection, nothing since or five years before. I don’t have an average or anticipated number, I will take sick days when I genuinely need them.
ddoorsofperception@reddit
When I worked in nurseries I was having about 6 incidences of absence a year totalling around 20 odd days , now I’m working an office job remotely, I have taken 0 in the past year.
Depends on your health, the job, the environment, proximity to others.
Sorry_Woodpecker_938@reddit
None cos I don’t get paid for them
HowHardCanItBeReally@reddit
I usually take a couple weeks, 1 week at a time. Spread out.
I'll be doing the same this year
vegass67@reddit
My workplace will give you the same ‘punishment’ whether you’re off for a week or 6 months; Full pay and a return to work meeting, granted you have a sick line. The system is regularly abused, as you can imagine.
Albi-bear-kittykat@reddit
I was pregnant this past year and it was the first time I took sick days without feeling guilty. I wasn’t off a crazy amount but actually looked after myself rather than trying to be a martyr, felt good
Seanacles@reddit
None of I can help it
GarethGore@reddit
I had two colds, both of which hit my throat and I couldn't speak and my job is all speaking on the phone. One was october 2023 and then I think april 2024, Then I had food poisoning in 2024 New years, was totally wiped out, was unable to move from my bed or the bathroom for a few days. Then I had a double ear infection, again called in sick from work as gotta have a headset on, but I couldn't have anything anywhere near my ears for a few days, it was agony.
That's since october 2023 to now, but before that I'd had no issues for ages, occasional cold/covid but I was fine, then had a really bad run of it. my view is that I'm sick I want to get better and if I need to call in sick, then I'll do it
RagingFuckNuggets@reddit
I haven't since Jan 2020. I finished earlier due to morning sickness is 2021 one day and my boss went me home when I was pregnant in 2023 because it a mid heat wave and my ankles had swollen to double their size and he said I was scaring the younger ladies in the office (that bit was said jokingly).
WalrusBracket@reddit
Not many, but as it is a food production place, we have strict rules. You get the runs or are sick, stay home for 48h. So some minor stuff I'd normally just work through, I now have to be more vigilant with. Can't go contaminating the pies with anything I potentially have.
OkIndependent1667@reddit
Not had a sick day since 2017
That’s not a flex I’ve genuinely not felt sock enough between then and now to call in, i only took the time off in 2017 because my back was in agony
It was 2008 before then
UKSaint93@reddit
As I wfh not many since 2020! More now that I have nieces and nephews in nursery tho. Always catch something when I see the snotty blighters
spiders_are_scary@reddit
Back when I worked: 4-5 days a year, usually. Couldn’t afford to take more off.
It took a while to financially recover from having tonsillitis and Covid. Actually, I didn’t. My Grandmother died so I got some money from that.
One-Cardiologist-462@reddit
It seems to be about 2 days a year for me.
CR2010@reddit
I used to never take sick days unless I physically couldn't work. Recently, I found out my work offers full pay for up to 3 months, four times per year, and they will only call for a meeting on the fifth occasion.
Now, I would have loved to know this before I worked while sick for a full week rather than taking two days off thinking it was unpaid!
Difficult_Listen_917@reddit
On average, none.
tres-bon-oeuf@reddit
I recently worked out that the last time I called in sick was February 2012 when I caught norovirus.
I don’t really get ill much, if I have a cold it’s usually very mild and I’ve never had food poisoning or anything more serious. Now I have the option to wfh I’ll do that if I have the sniffles, mainly to avoid passing it on to anyone else.
Artistic_Data9398@reddit
21 days a years. Our policy allows 4 sick occasions up to 7 days each without doctors note. So i usually take them in winter and use my annual leave for summer. Downvotes commence...
lyta_hall@reddit
As many as I need to
Batalfie@reddit
As many as I need which is not consistent year to year.
Rough_Champion7852@reddit
Usually 0 or 1, sometimes 2.
Commercial_Grand_662@reddit
0 in the last 5 years
Proof-Ad9367@reddit
I have never taken any in my 7ish years of working. Just been signed off work with anxiety for a month.
Fjordi_Cruyff@reddit
Since starting to work from home at the start of COVID? 2, those were because I had COVID.
Before that it was normal to take 2-3 days per year just because there were days when I just couldn't face the office.
SuitableComplaint301@reddit
my work is very set on too ill to come into the office then too ill to wfh which i find pretty stupid, i'm probably on 8 days in the past year but there are definitely a few where i feel like i could've wfh.
Willing_Coconut4364@reddit
(-) 20
WilkosJumper2@reddit
I want to do well so I can retire early, so none - if I can avoid it.
Raqonteur@reddit
I work in a customer facing environment, constantly exposed to illnesses people carry around. Sick calls are often treated like you are personally betraying the multi billion pound company.
I take time off when I'm ill. If it's something minor ill work through it because of all the grief ill get for taking time off.
Makes for a rotten working environment though.
Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit
I WFH. I do not take the piss though, I love my company. Last year I took 6 sick days, which if I recall, was one block of 3 consecutive days (horrific chest infection/head cold thing). Then 2 days back to back, I can't recall why exactly...and 1 day having dental work.
kestrel-fan@reddit
Only had two sick days in 7 years and I was actually in hospital for those.
No-Pangolin-6648@reddit
I reckon I take about 2 on average. Some years more, some years less. I'm fortunate that I don't have any significant issues or illnesses. Or somehow I get sick at the weekend. That is down quite a bit from when it was office 100% of the time. WFH means those days when I feel ok to sit at a desk and type but not ok to go into an office (it's a long commute) I can do.
Saying that, this year I had a vasectomy and took a week off to recover, then WFH the next week.
colin_staples@reddit
As many as necessary until I am well enough
Most years that is zero
I have never "pulled a sickie" (calling in sick when I'm not actually sick)
Matt_Moto_93@reddit
I take about 4-6 actual sick days a year. I also take time off for sciatica and / or tendonitis flair-ups, which can be very painful and get much worse if left alone. That might be once or twice a year for a few days at a time until medication settles it.
I will go in when feeling a bit under the weather, knowing I just need to decongest a little and wake up a bit. But if I am ill to the point that I know I shouldnt be making my own tea, let alone manufacturing materials with dangeorus chemicals, then I stay home in bed.
Look after yourself. One ill person going to work can take down many more.
Ok-Conversation-294@reddit
Honestly can’t remember the last time I did, probably only a few times in the last 5 years when I felt too bad to work. I don’t get sick often and usually it’s minor enough that I’ll just crack on whilst working from home.
Front_Scholar9757@reddit
I'd say going in sick is more selfish than taking a sick day & spreading germs around the office.
I'm clinically vulnerable, though you wouldn't know it looking at me. What could be 1 or 2 days off for you could be a week for me.
So I appreciate it when people just take the sick days they're entitled to rather than go in & wear it as a badge of honour that they've dragged themselves in.
Plenty-Land-3711@reddit
I’ve been working from home for 13 years.
In that time I’ve maybe taken 3 days total.
soshnomore@reddit
I've taken 2 sick days in 6 and a half years. I did take 4 days a couple of weeks after starting the job when my mum suddenly died, but since then, just 2. I know there would be no cover for me so the pressure to just come in and work through it is strong.
No-Accident6125@reddit
It depends on how frequently I'm sick and what the actual issue is.
If it's cold/flu like stuff, I'll just work from home as we have a rule not to go into the office with anything like that.
If it's my back problems, then I'll be off as long as I need to be u till I can safely get about again.
caffeine_and@reddit
Make sure you use your full allowance properly!
MotherSpell6112@reddit
Use all your sick days, they're part of your compensation.
Objective_Initial_81@reddit
Use them or lose them
PM-ME-YOUR-DIGIMON@reddit
Most years it’s 0
Last year it was 2.
Gullflyinghigh@reddit
Last year was three, each for one day, due to a known condition flaring up to the point that even WFH wasn't a realistic option.
soraie_@reddit
1/2 if I really need it. WFH helps, but there have been times I’ve worked when I shouldn’t have. Got paranoid after HR contacted my boss about sick days going over our allocation even though I was out for surgery, they said I’d have disciplinary action if I took more. They made a whole scene for nothing!
GoonishPython@reddit
That's when it's so frustrating! I get that workplaces need to keep an eye on patterns etc as some people do abuse sick leave, but when you've been signed off by your Dr for surgery they surely can just look at the drs note and go "ok, no review needed".
I had a similar problem after being off for a concussion. I was in review with boss/HR for the rest of the year. It really soured my relationship with my boss as I felt I wasn't trusted, despite having given them a copy of the hospital docs saying I needed to stay home for a week. Like, sorry, I didn't mean to fall and hit my head - it had never happened before and has never happened since.
Chris_Arab_Villain@reddit
None, I'm a site supervisor and have to find a replacement for me when I take any day off. Cannot be done at short notice, so even if I am ill, I come to work.
Haven't been so badly ill that I've needed a sick day in a couple of years though.
Feedlpls@reddit
As many as I need! I’m not going to break my back for a company that will replace me in a week
Frosty_Manager_1035@reddit
Before COVID, literally never. Still rare, but I’ve done it. We were forced to test in COVID and if positive stay home x number of days.
anchoredwunderlust@reddit
Depends how much I’m sick. I’ve always had pretty high attendance and worked through what I could, and what I have taken off has been more of a mental issue (though of course I don’t say that), but post Covid I’ve had a degradation in my POTs and used pretty much all my sick days over the summer, then got sciatica and had to take more time off, which is probably due to my hypermobility degrading too. So I’m supposing until I get some decent answers my sick days are going to be much more frequent than they used to be.
AxisOfAverage@reddit
I genrally work from home but I'll not go into the office if I've got something that's contagious.
Sea_Puddle@reddit
Just enough to avoid getting a formal review
No-Structure-8125@reddit
Very minimal. We only get SSP, so unless I really can't work, I'm going in.
Bskns@reddit
I think I’ve taken 2 sick days in the last 2 years. I don’t get ill often, and if I’m having a rubbish mental health day I just take my foot off the gas a little and give myself some grace.
I think employers that disclose how much sick leave employees can have are just opening themselves up to people using them like holiday tbh.
PmMeLowCarbRecipes@reddit
I get 5 paid sick days in my contract and you best believe I take them.
If it’s manageable but contagious I will tell my boss I’m going to wfh that day. But if I’m ill, I’m ill, I don’t ever feel bad about taking days when I need it.
jonathanquirk@reddit
If we have three sickness periods in a year at my job, we get a warning. If we get three warnings for three consecutive years, then we get fired.
So I take less sick leave than that.
sihasihasi@reddit
Very rarely, but that's because I'm very rarely ill.
TheArtfullTodger@reddit
Well so far iv has just over 6 months off sick. That admittedly is an exceptional circumstance. But it's far from the only time iv had a hefty chunk of prescribed time off work. The previous time before that was a 2 to 3 month block. I get the feeling this one is going to see an end to my current employment situation. Although that doesn't mean I'm not going to milk it for as long as possible. Might as well if work is willing to pick up the tab
banedlol@reddit
I can deal with sniffles/a mild cough but if I feel like shit I'm not going in.
kestrelita@reddit
It really varies for me, depending on what my darling daughter brings home from school! My 'worst' year I was just under the trigger for attendance because I was signed off due to a mental health wobble.
borumonika@reddit
You should always take a sick day if you have the option to. Most companies offer a few days sick leave. I used to do it too but now in my 30s I prioritise my health, I need time to recover and also I dont want to spread disease in the office.
painful_butterflies@reddit
Had 5 straight years of no sick, including through covid.
Already had 3 weeks off this year. 2025 sucks.
Melodic_Arm_387@reddit
It varies.
I didn’t have any sick days for about 4 years then was off twice with Covid, then I got cancer and was off for over a year.
Mysterious_Access726@reddit
I don’t take sick days, however, there are people I work with that plan “sick days” as part of there leave because they are allowed a certain number of sick days a year or episodes, drives me fucking mad
ema_l_b@reddit
I feel guilty as fuck having to call in sick. Even though the place in at now is absolutely fine with it, and it's super quiet atm, I think I have ptsd from everywhere else I've worked before.
I'm on week 2 of titrating through some meds, and I currently feel like absolute shit, but I'm here, hating early morning me for being a moron and not just staying home
JealousInformation57@reddit
Contractor here.
Rarely get sick, but if I have something I wouldn’t go into the office, just WFH, so I can avoid sharing it.
I never take a day off since I won’t get paid and I’ve never been so sick I feel I can’t contribute.
I will say though, a lot of perm staff will take a whole day off for a sniffle, and that’s their business of course, but it’s typically the ones who really like to spin it out that will often call in sick for the most minor illnesses.
seriousrikk@reddit
Days. Unknown.
Instances. Probably a couple a year.
It’s got to be pretty bad though as I work from home so can manage working with most ailments.
firerawks@reddit
none. i don’t really ever get sick at all
mh258@reddit
The use of the word “meh” needs a bit more context - are you taking days when you’re actually sick or just when you can’t be arsed?
Ok-Morning-6911@reddit
OP says that they often go in when feeling 'meh', which from the context we can infer to mean sub par. Not fully healthy. I think in those cases it's fine to be off sick, e.g. if you have a headache or cold.
purple_spade@reddit
I think I've called in sick 2-3 times in 6 years. I'm fairly young though and I occasionally work from home so if I'm sick working from home I tend to just work in bed or something.
elizabethpickett@reddit
Varies hugely month to month, as I have a chronic condition that gets better and worse. On average probably a half dozen a year? Plus a week if I get flu / norovirus / anything else nasty
ResponsibilityNo3245@reddit
Probably come down with something once or twice a year, rarely take more than a day or two.
ZeroCool5577@reddit
Last couple of years I’ve only had one occasion a year. I have to be pretty bad to feel I warrant a day off.
partywithanf@reddit
None. Because my body decides to only be unwell on weekends and holidays.
JanuaryGrace@reddit
In the last year, loads. I was off for 5 weeks with an ectopic pregnancy, a couple of separate days for a migraine, a week for the flu, and I’m currently in the middle of having 2 weeks off for having surgery. The year before, less than a week total.
MelodicPreparation93@reddit
I had 5 sick days last year, 2 for genuine illness and 3 for recovery post procedure.
I've definitely worked with the sniffles as well, but always make sure I do so from home (a luxury I know).
Joshthenosh77@reddit
0/1 over 30 years
JustMMlurkingMM@reddit
Two days with a musculoskeletal problem last year where I couldn’t physically get out of bed. Four days in 2019 with Covid. Two weeks in 1995 with cerebral malaria. A week in 1992 with a broken shoulder and heavy painkillers. That’s it.
ConfectionHelpful471@reddit
As few as possible - if I can work then I will. If I am well enough to be in the office I will be otherwise I will wfh.
In 7 years I have had less than 1 working week off sick as unless I am bed bound I will be capable of working
Aegwyn028@reddit
I only take sick days if my dr says i can’t work, I even if I feel very ill I still go to work
Expensive-Twist8865@reddit
I haven't taken any in like 3 years
Odd_Support_3600@reddit
As many as I need. Even some I don’t. If companies don’t like it they should sweeten the pot with better wages and conditions.
notanadultyadult@reddit
Depends how often I’m truly sick and feel like I need a sick day. Last year was 1 day I think.
Jebus_UK@reddit
Hardly ever Mainly when I'm sick. I had a few days off for COVID a few years back but that was probably the first sick days I took in about 10 years
officialullock@reddit
Only time I've ever stayed off work is from really really bad hangovers or COVID when we had to be off. But I'm a year into my new job and haven't had a sick day yet. Think I'll save it for when I properly can't be arsed.
mk6971@reddit
Going into work feeling ill is selfish. Especially if your have cold/flu symptoms all you're doing is spreading your illness to your colleagues. Work from home if you're able to.
pumpupthejam77@reddit
In the last year I've taken 12. 2 were from mental health and 10 were following surgery. I should probably take a few more mental health days if I'm being honest. I'd say on average I take 7 sick days a year
Lielune@reddit
Usually, none. But my job is hybrid and we have a pretty robust “if you’re sick, you’re not expected in the office, just stay at home” unofficial policy, and there’s a pretty big gulf in my eyes between “sick enough to stay home” and “sick enough to not be able to work from home”. Since I generally only get colds, I very rarely hit the second one.
leclercwitch@reddit
Whenever I’m sick. I have had 5 bouts of sickness in the last year. 2 mental health related because of my miscarriage, flu, tonsillitis for the first time ever, and tomorrow I go back after 2 weeks because of kidney stones.
It’s a wonder they’re even going to let me back. But I’ve been genuinely ill. I think I need to go to a hearing to discuss next steps but I really am hoping to not be ill again 😂
mouldy95@reddit
Given that paid sick days are there and if you don't take them you rarely get any form of bonus I use them liberally at the end of the year.l if I haven't already. Other people get paid them so why shouldn't I??
TurbulentHamster3418@reddit
Here's my take and experience: 2 years ago i worked for a company where being off sick would get the eye roll unless you were literally dying. I'd be off sick once or twice a year, cold virus etc, nothing above average. You'd have a HR interview the minute you were back, no checking how you were feeling and scrutinising your absence history. I also suffer with anxiety and this came to a peak due to work stress in 2021. I was signed off for a month and when I came back I had a disciplinary!? I'd been off on 2 occasions in 12 months but the total amount of days exceeded something in the sick policy?? how is this meant to help people's stress levels let alone keep them in work.
I left shortly after and my new company encourages people to look after their health above all else. We're still paid if we're off and there's no HR bullshit to deal with when you're back (unless you've been off a lot or there's something serious going on). HR are there to genuinely help. As a consequence, I haven't been off sick for just over 2 years, funny eh?
lookhereisay@reddit
When I’m sick. I have a toddler and in the last month we’ve had cough/cold (which I was able to wfh with), norovirus (1 day as it was just before the weekend plus I don’t work Mon/Fri) and last week we had HFM (half term so a day of sickness and a day of parental leave plus WFH one day).
MarrV@reddit
On average i get migraines for 2-3 days a month.
However they often are over a weekend.
So usually that is 20 or so from that, but 80% of then I work part of the day on, so it doesn't count as a full day as we do it by hours.
So it comes in around 11 a year.
It's a disclosed medical condition and a disability so work tends to be very good with it.
EveryCup9210@reddit
I joined a company which had a bonus for adherence and attendance within the first 12 months. Many like myself we're like we'll come in ill or not and get rewarded. Come the 12 we got our bonuses for 100% adherence and attendance. And so did those that were absent for 6 of the 12 months. Moral of the story, use your absence / sick "allowance" and have a plausible back up story.
I hardly have any time off and I've never been appreciated for this. The one time I was off for genuine illness with a different employer (had sinusitis for the first time and it was bad) and they grilled me for this trying to ”catch me out". 6 months later they tried to do me over for the same absence despite me not having any more absences. This ended with a "we’ll be monitoring your absence further" I was furious at the time and put a grievance in which didn't go anywhere.
Know your employers absence policy and use it to your advantage.
notsocrazycatlady101@reddit
According to my employer, I should only take 8 sick days a year, regardless of what the illness is.
I had that awful flu that's going about at the minute and was off for 2 weeks. When I came back I had an "absence review" meeting and was told I was on a warning. Wtf??
SpudFire@reddit
Sometimes none, sometimes a few. I'd say my average is about 3.
I can WFH so that helps to carry on working without having to consider passing on the lurgy around the office.
peterbparker86@reddit
I work for the NHS so I have a generous sick pay policy. On average I take probably 6 days a year, usually in winter. I work in infection control so coming into work with visible signs of a virus is not a good look, and it stops me doing clinical rounds anyway. I managed a small team so I could potentially take the whole team out if I come in.
Just seems that I always get a cold in October, without fail and then again around December January.
Expensive-Analysis-2@reddit
I started working in a hospital not on nhs tho. Ive never known anything like it the amount of sick time people have off. Anywhere else its like a week here and there. NHS when someone goes off on the sick you don't see them for months and no one bats an eye lid. They have the full whack then miraculously get better. Come back for the least amount of time then back on the sick again. I know a couple of people who seem to get "sick" around christmas time every year. It seems to be a competition to see who can have the most sick time. No wonder the NHS is on its arse.
peterbparker86@reddit
Yeah some people abuse it but that happens everywhere.
Devify@reddit
When I'm too sick to work which isn't something I can predict. I took 2 days sick last year.
If I'm just feeling a bit off I'll usually work from home, most of the time even if I'm having to blow my nose constantly my brain is working well enough that I feel I can still be productive. But if my brain is just not working at all, I'll take the day off. Usually that ends up being the one day where the cold peaks and I just end up sleeping for most of the day.
Tasty-Explanation503@reddit
At my workplace you get 1 extra days annual leave if you aren't sick of for the whole holiday year prior, or 9 days sick leave. So yeah...
MDFHASDIED@reddit
Conscious_Cat_6204@reddit
My employer gives us full pay for 5 sick days per year, therefore I take 5 sick days per year. I save them for when I’m genuinely sick though.
extinctionAD@reddit
I went six years without taking a sick day and probably had maybe four days in the last ten years. Same company.
Then this year I’ve had to call in twice over the span of two weeks, both times for multiple days.
I work from home so I generally crack on if I’m still able to function but I’ve been felt as bad as I did those two times - couldn’t even open my eyes to look at the screens.
Deep_Banana_6521@reddit
I just completed two years at my current job and have taken zero sick days.
I swapped a shift because I was ill, but managed to still get my hours in.
Not that i've ever gone in to work unable to do my job, but a sniff or a headache that can be remedied with over the counter meds isn't reason enough to me to lose out on any money.
quarky_uk@reddit
I have taken three in the past five years from memory. For when I had covid. I also WFH though, so don't need to worry about spreading anything.
LostBit444@reddit
I think my last sick day was 4 or 5 years ago.
LostBit444@reddit
I think the last sick day I took was about 3yrs ago. I was in a car accident and screwed my back/neck up so needed a couple of days off.
Lego-hearts@reddit
I never used to until I moved in with my partner and now he will insist I stay off if I’m sick, and won’t let me go back too soon. I just really needed someone to give me permission to be sick rather than thinking I was letting everyone down if I called in.
WiccanPixxie@reddit
Tbh as few as possible. This year is an exception as I had surgery so had four weeks off. Normally if I’m feeling rough it’s a day or two
paulie_x_walnuts@reddit
Having a day off sick isn't selfish, going into the office and infecting others is.
wnttak@reddit
Usually, 0. I work from home so I manage, but if I was working in an office, anything between a few days and a week. I tend to get every cold and flu virus going but I can manage the few steps to my home office and work in my dressing gown, but wouldn't want to get dressed and drive in.
GargaryGarygar@reddit
I have had one day off sick since 2007, being sick is for wimps to be honest.
iatecurryatlunch@reddit
I take more days being injured then sick. On average about 3 days a year.
Atombom01@reddit
Literally only if I'm sick, because I've taken a couple of days off sick in the past, but then a week later actually got sick 🤣 and then had to call in again.
So now If I don't get sick in a year. I don't take sick days
catjellycat@reddit
Depends. None since April 2023. Before that, 3.5 months when an operation rolled into a bereavement. I’ve had a few poorly times recently but have been able to wfh or it’s been over a holiday period (Christmas!).
I think people who are weirdly proud of never taking a day off are a bit odd. I mean, congrats you haven’t needed an operation or what have you. In 2012, I had to have two separate sets of emergency surgery to save my life. Im not sure that made me less dedicated than my colleagues.
ProfessorYaffle1@reddit
Yes,I find it ia bit strange when people see it as a virtue - it normally either means they are fortunate and haven't got ill or they are inconsiderate and chose to 'work through' , often spreading germs around and causing others to get ill as well.
Resident-Rhubarb8372@reddit
In my last job I had 4 sick days in 4.5 years because it was flexible, wfh and if you weren’t feeling great it was encouraged to move meetings and take it easy. I’ve been in my new job 2 months and been off twice already! It’s in office and if you got something that can spread you just can’t come in.
Biggest thing I’ve learned in the last year is that it doesn’t matter how loyal you are to a company, you are a replaceable number. So as long as it doesn’t impact your career in ways you can’t handle take that sick day, look after yourself, no one else will 💖 I’d take time off for burnout in a heartbeat if I genuinely needed it
HalikusZion@reddit
Find a firm that appreciates when you take a few days off with a cold etc so you don't then infect half the office ans cost them far more in sick pay.
YGhostRider666@reddit
Me personally I go on unless I'm at death door. But lots of people make a full time job out of calling in sick. We Get sick for for 6 months so it's massively abused
MissWomble@reddit
My husband has taken 2 weeks in 10 years and that was for an operation. He NEVER gets ill. Me on the other hand, I have chronic health conditions and I take at least a couple of weeks a year on average. It’s usually due to my health conditions as opposed to flu etc.
Watsis_name@reddit
I took my first 2 this year since Covid when I had 2. Before then I had 1 in 2016.
I started working in 2004, so that's an average of 0.25 per year.
cgknight1@reddit
People should take whatever days they require that is what they are for - I think I am a bit of a freak as I have no memory of ever been sick enough to take a day off.
ProfessorYaffle1@reddit
It's very variable, there are loads of things, such as age, underlying health,including things like stress levels and type of job, and luck which have huge impacts on how healthy we are.
I had a look and over the last 4 years (which is how far our records go back) I average 3.25 days a year - the highest number of days was 7 in one year and the lowest was 1 day.
Ovr the past 12 months the average for people in our office was about 4.5 days, but around 10% of people had no sick leave at all and the person who had the most was off for a total of 23 days during that 12 month period
I think it will also depend on the employers policies - on average, organsiations with fewer than50 employers report that people take on average 5 days a year, public sector reports that people take on average 10.6 days a year. It's likelyu that at least some of that refleccts the fact that public ssector workers will often have very significantly more generous paid sick leave . Someone who will be entitled to get paid (say) 3 months t their full payu and 3 at half pay if off sick is likely to feel more able to take time off than someone who gets 6 days a year paid, or someone who gets no paid sick leave at all (except SSP)
EntertainerNo8806@reddit
I don’t. I think I’ve built 5 months of available sick leave.
Ok-Grape-3628@reddit
I haven’t had a sick day for 7 years but I can work from home.
Cococannnon@reddit
I’ve not taken a sick day since 2022 but I do work from home the majority, I’ve been ill a couple of times since then but not enough to call in when I can reorganise my diary and still do a bit of work. If I’m properly sick I’ll call in for as long as need be, my manager is very relaxed.
When I worked in the office it was at least twice a year for 3 or more days. I have Crohn’s disease and was once off for 8 months on long term sick.
Expensive-Analysis-2@reddit
Not enough.
InitiativeOne9783@reddit
On average about 2.
Some years there's none, but then this year I had the flu at the start of Jan and missed an entire week.
kipha01@reddit
Zero if possible, if I am truly ill then I will take them as required.
d-i-n-o-s-a-u-r@reddit
I take time off when I'm ill, but I'm not ill very often so most years I'd say I have 1-3 days where I'm fully off sick. However, I WFH, so if I'm feeling a bit rough, like I had a terrible night sleep or something, then I let them know and just take it easy for the day, maybe do some more basic tasks instead of anything complex. Sometimes that's just easier/better than having a full day off as it means I don't have to catch up on anything the next day. I probably have about 4 or 5 days a year where I do that.
most_crispy_owl@reddit
I am remote and took zero last year
Head_Lie_1301@reddit
No set days - if I'm sick, I'm sick. And in my place, we get 6 months full pay, 6 months half pay and then it's SSP.
AceTwit@reddit
I drive a reach truck, so I'll take a day off if I think I'm too ill to drive safely. I only get 3 paid days a year though
hitiv@reddit
as many as i need. if i feel too rough to come in i will call in sick. last year it was 2 maybe 3 days. im on a salary and i get paid as usual when off sick for a day here or there when sick.
Artificial100@reddit
I’ve taken two sick days in 11 years. What have I got to show for it over others who have a lot more? Nothing. I should have been more selfish with regards to taking them, but I still feel a bit guilty, especially now I’m working from home. It feels a lot harder to justify.
FitSolution2882@reddit
Only when I'm genuinely ill so no more than a few per year.
Back when I had jobs I hated and was drinking at the weekend it would probably be over a dozen py.
Deadend_Friend@reddit
Work from home so very rarely take a full day off but 2-3 a year I feel awful and maybe work 1 or 2 hours to do my core tasks and spend a lot of the rest of the day in bed but with my work laptop next to me in case something urgent comes up
sourpatchnova@reddit
Whenever I'm sick and can't make it in, I take a sick day.
When I worked in supermarkets/shops, I had a "can't be arsed" mentality so while some sick days were genuine, there were some days where I woke up and just talked myself in to calling in sick because I couldn't stand the thought of going to work that day. I work in a job that I actually enjoy now so I haven't felt like I need those "I need a break from this job" days, plus there is only four of us that work there so if I call in sick, it'll fuck up the day when only two of us are in. Obviously if I was sick with a stomach bug that I could spread to the others, I'd take a sick day so I don't take out the entirety of the staff but if it was something minor like a cold, then I'm sure I'll survive the work day.
iamezekiel1_14@reddit
100% - but I'm on 0 for about the last 8 years so I really can't comment.
thevoiceofalan@reddit
I had a look at this last week. From the works HR portal thing - 2 absenses a year and 5 days over the last 5 years is my average. 10 years back I was off for 90 days which threw out my averages.
We have over 2 absences or >10 days in under 6 months which ever comes first, this throws up a HR flag to line managers. Our team is a mix of WFH and office based, the WFH folk have more six days.
wtf_amirite@reddit
Zero. I work offshore and if I rocked up at my station and said, I’m going back to my cabin I have a cold, I’d be laughed and then sacked.
Foamo99@reddit
Do wanna know a weird fact? I was ALWAYS the ill one in the office, honestly I’d pick up everything sniffle going. A random conversation with the Wife has now meant that I’ve stopped using hand driers in toilets (I’ll dry my hands by shaking off and dry on my trousers) - and I’ve not been ill in months! I’m a convert for sure
MrMonkeyman79@reddit
Typically one or two days, though of I don't get anything worse than a mild cold on a year then ill take none.
If I'm capable of doing the job then I'll go in, and being on a flexi working arrangement, I can still work from home if there's a concern about being contagious.
I figure I'm paid to do a job and I cam still do it while feeling a bit meh.
MDK1980@reddit
I WFH, so significantly less than I would've if I was still working in an office. It's easier to power through an illness if I'm working from bed in my pyjamas for the day.
The infection rate generally increases exponentially if you take public transport, or sit in an office all day, because there's always going to be that one guy who just had to be a hero and go in while he was dying.
I remember an incident from my office days: I was on AL, and got a text from a colleague to say they'd evacuated the building because someone had come back to work from their holiday with something MERS. They even had to get a team in to upgrade the HVAC.
And, of course, let's not forget every idiot who went into work with COVID, because "it's just the flu, bro". Again, my previous employer, one of the managers caught it, didn't tell anyone, but still went to work, infecting half of the service desk.
TMSQR@reddit
However many I need. If I'm not ill, I won't take any and will just use my leave. Alternatively, when I had my heart attack I was off for 6 weeks then had a phased return.
Being able to work from home has also meant that if I'm well enough to work but not well enough to deal with getting the tube for an hour I can still work.
It pays to work somewhere that values and trusts it's workers. I used to work in the civil service and they would give you warnings and stuff if you had more than about 5 days. So glad I left.
linkheroz@reddit
As many as I need. It's not selfish. If I go in when I'm sick and give it to everyone else, they're all going to be off sick too and you'll recover faster from home.
AcceptableProgress37@reddit
The average per fulltime employee takes 5ish sick days per year, so about a 97.5% attendance rate. I'd probably average around that: some years 0 sick days, other years there's a car crash or someone dies or something and I'm off for weeks.
Freddlar@reddit
I was brought up to go into school even when I was really ill. I can remember two occasions where I was sent home by the teachers despite my mum's objections (and no, this isn't bragging. I was probably responsible for infecting countless other households, with hindsight).
I internalised that, and as an adult I am very rarely off sick. However, teaching is a really difficult career to be ill in- on the one hand, it's impossible to teach when you're unwell because you need all your wits about you to battle those wily teenagers. On the other hand, you are fully aware of how annoying it is to cover a lesson so you try not to let your colleagues do it. You also have to set cover, which is sometimes harder than actually just dragging yourself in and teaching.
So I try, if at all possible, to limit it to one illness per term or three a year. Most of the time a large contributing factor is exhaustion, and an extra day's rest sorts it out.
Paul2377@reddit
Last year I took 3 days off sick and they were all together. Before that, I don’t think I had any time off sick for several years.
I think more people are likely to keep working when unwell these days because they’ll WFH instead.
IntrovertedArcher@reddit
Everyone else giving the sanctimonious “as many as I need answers”, which wasn’t what was asked. So I’ll answer the actual question, probably around 3 days a year. Usually for migraines. This year I’ve had two already for a bad cold, the first non-migraine days off I’ve had since I had Covid in 2021.
I don’t officially get paid sick days, however, I get paid a salary and my boss doesn’t usually bother to inform accounts when I have a day off, so I rarely get my pay docked. I think if I took more days off I’d not get that discretionary courtesy!
zonked282@reddit
Typically none, my body has a beautiful tendancies to save up all its illnesseses for the moment my annual leave starts
itsheadfelloff@reddit
I average less than 1 a year, so I'm putting that right by chucking a sickie right now and the rest of the week. Probably go for a coffee in a minute.
buginarugsnug@reddit
Only if I'm actually ill. I only get paid SSP so its not really worth calling in just because I feel a little bit shit.
Background_Baby4875@reddit
I want to be quite frank for many business, sickness policy is often the best/easiest way to get rid of people, if people are off to often, and it isn't deemed as genuine, it is also more likley that member of staff is not worth there post and the business would love them to leave.
usually to get fire due to sickness is not the biggest way as employees often start coming in sick or stop having fake sick days before coming to trigger points for them to sack them.
what normally gets people to leave is the proccess makes employee angry, feel like management don't find them worthy and end up leaving.
imagine this you have 3 years no sickness, you get 3 period of sickness, and they jump on you in the same manner they do another member staff only just started, you'd feel why am i being treated the same... might be bad management but also likely is them shoving you.
best way to think about it is, if your a manager and you have a staff member who is useless how do you get rid of them?
x99kjg@reddit
Ideally none, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that. I have a lifelong condition so over the last couple of years I've probably had a month or so a year sick. Luckily my work, for all their other flaws, are actually really good and keep those sick days separate to your average flu or sickness. So no disciplinary or getting HR involved.
mattamz@reddit
Never I don't get paid otherwise. Also I work alone so no rush of infecting others
Durzo_Blintt@reddit
Now that I work from home, on average 2 per year for the past 4 years. Before that, around 15 per year. You just catch more shit in the office and when you do get it, it's more of an effort to get in. Whereas at home I can work whilst sick since I don't have to get up 3 hours before my shift to get in and spend 2 hours on a train! Which is horrendous if you are sick.
Only_Me231222@reddit
Very rarely, because I don’t often get poorly enough to not be able to work.
Alternative_Week_117@reddit
When I worked for an employer I hated every single day I could take without getting sacked. Now I work for an employer and people who I like I've not taken a day off sick in four years.
Purely a coincidence...
AWildAndWoolyWastrel@reddit
Whenever I'm too ill to work and/or likely to infect others, and that's what I tell my minions to do too.
Brettstastyburger@reddit
My employer provides full six pay up to 6 months. You can take two incidents of sick leave (self cert for one week) without triggering a HR query. You can guess what the average sick leave at my company is per year.
SmegmaSandwich69420@reddit
2 sick periods in 30 years of work. Once when I was young and had emergency dental work and was told not to go to work, that was a single day and basically a long weekend equivalent. Once for about a month when i was a little older when I broke my toe and had a cast on and couldn't physically wear shoes.
If I can get up I can go to work. I live in a society and have responsibilities beyond myself.
mrsdontknowwhoiam@reddit
Only if I really can’t physically work.
I work in a busy kitchen so any d&v is a big no go but I also had a week off in November sick as I got a bad case of cellulitis so couldn’t physically stand for long periods or get shoes on as my feet were so swollen.
Specimen_E-351@reddit
Almost never until I was totally disabled by a routine prescription drug.
Ry_White@reddit
When I need one.
They’re there to be used, and are part of your compensation package. You should be using them.
donalmacc@reddit
Less than when I was in the office. When I was in the office I was more concerned about sharing the lergy with people, but now that I’m home the bar is higher to call in.
loserbaby_@reddit
Pre children literally none because I never got sick - the only time I really had off was a 2 week sign off because my appendix burst.
Post children is a different story. Never been so ill in my life. I try to push through when I can but it’s brutal when you’re also looking after sick children and probably getting no sleep. When mine first started nursery I think there were a few raised eyebrows at how much time I was having off sick and off to look after a sick child, but I literally had no choice!
stacyskg@reddit
When I need. My employer doesn’t have the usual 3 occasions in a year and you get warnings, loose sick pay etc. they’re incredibly relaxed around sick time and I think we get 6 months straight sick pay before it goes SSP. I have taken less time off here than any other employer, but I’ve never been able to stick within the 3 occasions.
dvb70@reddit
Pretty much 0 now I work from home most of the time. I am never too ill to sit on a laptop though I have had the odd sleep for a an hour or two when I have been feeling rough. I just tell my team not feeling well today so I may not be as available as normal.
jamesbeil@reddit
'Self-employed' working in a role the NHS farms out so zero. I'm lucky enough that I've not had to be in a hospital since I was 13 but if I had more than about two days away from work I'd be in serious trouble.
Footprints123@reddit
I've taken 2 sick days in 4 years. I probably should have had more. I grew up in a 'you go in unless you are dying' family and I feel guilty about my patients having appointments cancelled. But I really should take more days because I have often worked when I genuinely feel absolutely awful.
Then I see colleagues having days off for the most minor things and it irks me.
Background_Baby4875@reddit
last 2 years, i had 2 weeks recovery from surgery, other then this 0, I tend to only get ill when friday evening comes along.
I go in often likely iller then most colleagues would be off for, I personally think this serves me well of getting it over quicker by not stopping... plus at home with kids sick isn;t much of a rest (can't help but play around)
wheresmyhat8@reddit
Does this not mean that you bring illness into the workplace and spread it round?
Background_Baby4875@reddit
Yes, you must realise if staff did not go into work with cold, run down, whatever, your never see a doctor, do you think trusts have a never ending bank work of doctors to cover every sickness? no staff generally have to work through it especially when a big part of the workforce does take the approach of staying at home for a ''mental health day'' not dissing that idea but demonstrating what would happen, if you didn't go into work sometimes when not 100%, you would be quickly lose your job as the sickness policy is about episodes of sickness not length, so 1 day here, 2 days here will be quickly down to being canned.
alacklustrehindu@reddit
Haven't had one since October 2022 and I took voluntary leave because of Covid
Glimmerousdream_@reddit
My rule for myself is that if I can sleep it off, I take time off.
I can work from home if I have a cold or stomach bug, so I’m not spreading it around but also not taking so many sick days that HR start asking questions.
AnxiousTerminator@reddit
When promotions and redundancies roll around, sick leave is one of the factors considered at most work places. People that take the piss are first to go. I only take them if I am genuinely too sick to work. If I have a cold or something I wfh to avoid spreading it.
Grillmyribs@reddit
I'm self employed, I don't get the privilege to have time off sick unless I'm absolutely hanging. Then I have to do extra to catch up afterwards. I believe everyone should spend time self-employed to install a better work ethic.
unusually_named@reddit
I'm one of those annoyingly healthy people. Barring covid I've only had three days off with a genuine illness since 2019.
avalanchefan95@reddit
Around 2... Maybe 3.
DeadBallDescendant@reddit
Been in this job two years and not taken a day off yet. In my last 'employed' job before this one, I didn't have a day off sick in four years.
Not_Sugden@reddit
in the last 12 months I've had about 112~
Ordinary-Break2327@reddit
In my first year of returning to work I must have had at least 50. I'd been seriously ill before I got the job and found out the hard way that I wasn't up to it (DWP passed me as fit). They called me every day to ask what I was doing about returning to work and I gave the same answer that my body needs to heal.
I don't know why employers want sick staff to come to work as they end up infecting the rest of the workforce resulting in more absences through sickness.
Don't go to work if you are ill. Your health is more important than their targets and if you die they'll simply replace you.
wheresmyhat8@reddit
10 paid sick days in a rolling 12mon period. I don't treat it as a target, but if I'm ill I'll take them. Had the flu recently which resulted in 4 days out.
I'm 100% remote but I don't see the point in forcing myself to work when I can't think straight and I could be resting and recovering instead. Most of my job is thinking and talking - if I can't do those, I might as well sleep.
thesleeplessj@reddit
I’ve probably taken about three sick days in my whole life, I’m 49. Sick days are for when you’re sick, not a free holiday…
Creativeusernamexox@reddit
We're only allowed 3 in a 12 month period or we go infront of the board. I'm on number #2 :/
willp2003@reddit
Normally 0
I’ve had about 7 sick days off in 22 years
Gadgie2023@reddit
I can self certify for 7 days, I get up to six months full pay and then six months half pay.
Took around 3 weeks off in 2021 when I had COVID and was fucked.
Other than that, I haven’t been sick but it is good to know I have that security if I am.
Aromatic-Act-8268@reddit
I’ll go years where I only take 1, others where I’ll take 6. Don’t think I’ve ever had more than that though.
BackgroundGate3@reddit
I'm retired, but when I worked I rarely had time off sick so most years I didn't take a single day off. However, because of the Bradford Factor, if I was sick, I was really sick and took the week.
WoodenEggplant4624@reddit
Freelance now so sick days very occasional and that is helped by the fact that I work from home and don't get colds or bugs from colleagues.
Minimum_Possibility6@reddit
If I'm really sick that I cannot work I will call in. That's not been for many a year.
However if I'm rough, I'll WFH if it's an office day and just let me boss/stakeholders/customers know incase we had f2f meetings set up
RainbowPenguin1000@reddit
Probably averages about 3 a year over the last few years and this will usually be 1 illness that keeps me off for a few days. If I have anything minor I will work as normal.
I used to not take any but after getting ill in 2020 my immune system doesn’t seem to be what it once was.
PinkandTwinkly@reddit
Most years Zero. Think I did 10 years with not a single sick day at one point
Sadly had a couple of hospital stays and an op with required sick day recovery so have had more in the last 18 months than my entire 20+ year career. I'm lucky that we do go full sick pay
Hungry-Falcon3005@reddit
DrewBk@reddit
Very rarely take a day off unless really sick. I think about 5 in my entire time working.
iluvritalin@reddit
Usually none, mostly WFH though. Am experiencing some pretty serious depression so about to ask for my first sickline. Only get SSP but need the time off, unfortunately.
CheesyLala@reddit
Usually 2-4 a year on average.
Took 3 days in January for a chest infection, now I've got a shitty cold but I work from home so will just plough on through it.
Harrry-Otter@reddit
Very few. I’m not one of these “go in when you’re feeling crap” people, I just very rarely seem to get ill.
Jpmoz999@reddit
Depends on how many days I’m sick.
wetwilly7114@reddit
Where I work now, in my first year I had no sick days, in my second year, I had 5 or 6 days on 3 occasions.
Fairly sure my manager low-key encouraged me to take some sick days recently though lol. I think I take fewer than most, including him.
TravellingMackem@reddit
I’ve taken 3 periods off in 10 years working here. Two were within a week of each other, as I ended up in hospital, then went back to work too soon and ended up back in hospital again. Other was for some outrageously bad cold/flu/covid thing last year.
I’ve found that since I’ve been WFH since 2016, most illnesses I’m fine to WFH but avoid the office to stop infections to others, so I do that. You can with something like the sniffles or a bad belly. But I wouldn’t hesitate in calling in if I’m genuinely unable to work.
Upbeat_Map_348@reddit
It is often in your contract. At my company, you are allowed 10 paid sick days per year. After that, you go to statutory sick pay.
In reality, hardly anyone takes that much and, when they do, the company uses its discretion.
alexwhit80@reddit
In 19 years of work where I am I think I have taken 5 days in total.
Don’t get sick pay and SSP does not kick in till day 3.
TSC-99@reddit
Usually a couple. Last year 3 months with mental health. That’s teaching for you.
oudcedar@reddit
Maybe 1 or 2, but some years it’s been 10 in one go when I caught something at work.
InkedDoll1@reddit
I've been in my current job for 7.5yrs, in that time I've had 2 days actually off (my first bout of covid), plus a further 10 working at home (first and second covid). That's it.
itsYaBoiga@reddit
Usually 0, have worked from home a couple of days when feeling rough though.
f1boogie@reddit
Maybe two a year. I think i have gone maybe 5 or 6 years without a single day before. Then, one year, I took about 20 on doctors' orders.
In my workplace, it seems like taking a day for a cold or flu has become more common since covid. Mostly on the basis that it's better for 1 person to be ill for 1 day than to make 10 others ill.
ReptilianJam@reddit
I've had 2 sick instances in the last 4 years. Each lasting 3 to 4 days. Although I reported that I was physically ill, I wasn't. I was struggling mentally.
melanie110@reddit
I’m WFH so if I’m ill, I will sometimes just lay on the couch with my laptop open and nap but if I’m super sick, I’ll just go to bed. Think the last time I took some time was May last year as I had a migraine and I needed to go back to bed. Maybe half a day
Valuable-Ad-1477@reddit
It depends on whether I'm ill and whether I'm fed up during the month. Generally it's only one ot two a year if I'm genuinely ill but if my patience is being seriously tested in work then I have a day off.
Mr__Skeet@reddit
Self-employed now, so zero unless I am physically bedridden with flu/sickness so maybe 1-2 days a year max. In my former occupation as an employee for a large PLC we only got statutory sick pay. I went 3 full years without a sick day and realised there are absolutely no prizes for having a 100% record, so I made sure to take 2 or 3 per year after that before I left (I didn’t like the company at all which was a major factor)
Alex_Black89@reddit
10 paid sick days at my hell of a job
ThatWeirdLinuxGuy@reddit
I don't get paid sick pay so as few as possible!
I've probably had a week or so off in the last 12 months
Lonely-Job484@reddit
Typically zero
Jazzy0082@reddit
Around this time last year I had 3 days off with Norovirus, any I think it had been 2/3 years since the last time off I'd had. I'm lucky though, in that because 90% of the time I work from home, so if I'm under the weather I'll usually fine to work as I don't need to actually go anywhere.
BestRaspberry929@reddit
Since starting 9 years ago, maybe 4 Not counting 2 weeks for Covid as that was a requirement to take that off
Too many over a set period looks bad, depending on the company can lead to discipline
mumwifealcoholic@reddit
I WFH so I hardly ever get sick anymore. But when I do pick something up, I get pretty ill, and so I don't want to waste any goodwill on duvet days.
B33Dee@reddit
None unless I’m physically unable to work. Had two instances of sickness in the last 10 years for Flu and Covid, 3 days and 7 days respectively
Hot-Whereas9535@reddit
Think I left early once last year through illness. We don’t get sick pay at our place.
Bum-Sniffer@reddit
Haven’t had one since Dec ‘22
Civil_opinion24@reddit
Maybe one. I can work from home so only call in sick if I feel like death
Nicky2512@reddit
You shouldnt give your coworkers an infection, but otherwise should do your best to go to work
starsandbribes@reddit
Maybe about two individual days. Never really sick. If I was off sick every time I couldn’t be arsed working it’d be every working day of the year.
Sudden_Leadership800@reddit
Last year I took 5.5 but two of them were because I had surgery
Eckzilla@reddit
Hadn't took a sick day in well over 10 years but had 3 in a row last summer after hurting my back trying to save a penalty.
bambiiambi@reddit
As many as I need
BaBaFiCo@reddit
I think I last took a sick day about 2-3 years ago. And it was another five-ish years the time before that.
Old-Mortgage5980@reddit
Whenever I’m feeling meh, upto 10. But I’ve never been that sick to not go work so I just pick strategically
northernblazer11@reddit
Great Question to ask on a Monday.
Just ring in. You won't get sacked.
Then meet your mates down the pub at 1pm for the Monday club.
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