Eyes of Pink

Eyes of Pink

03.16.04 (1:12 pm)   [edit]
Yes, once again I have succumbed to an occupational hazard: conjunctivitis. Handling filthy library material + staring at a computer screen for extended periods + rubbing eyes, forgetting to take the precaution of handwashing or sanitizer =



So, rather than run the risk of infecting my co-workers, I valiantly called in sick yesterday - facing further possible reprimand for the unforgivable sin of actually using sick leave days. :roll:

I've already been given a warning about how many sick days (6) that I've used in the past year, even though what I've used constitutes only a fraction of the total number I've accumulated in the past 3 years of working for the library system.

What's really stupid about the way that sick leave is counted in my library system; anything more than 4 hours constitutes one incident of sick leave use, but if you stay out for 3 full days, that also counts as one incident. So there really isn't much incentive to come back early from being sick. In theory, you could (if you had enough time accumulated) stay home sick for 18 days during a year and get reprimanded for it the same as if you'd been out for 6 days. :roll:

Also, with the new federal family/sick leave rules, you could be out sick more than that if you can get your doctor to sign something saying that you have a chronic condition. I have an occasional migraine and if I wanted to, I could get my doctor to sign a statement to that fact and then I'd never get reprimanded for being ill. With my diabetes, I could get him to say that as a person with a compromised immune system, I'm more susceptible to catching viral infections, therefore whenever I get a cold, I can stay home and not get in trouble for it. :roll:

I guess I'm just going to have to get over the notion that I'm doing the library and my co-workers a favor by trying to come back early from getting ill - especially when to it seems I'm only penalizing myself by coming back too early.

Hmmn . . . could it be that I'm really discovering where the whole stereotypical lazy public servant image comes from? In the bureaucracy, you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. And I'm in the Union Dammit! :wink: