Hi, Theresa - hope you are doing better each day! I do not have anything to add to the very good comments already expressed here, but always find your columns thought-provoking and spot on. All of us in health care need to take better care of ourselves and our colleagues as well as our patients! I am watching MSNBC this morning and they have just interviewed Dr. Uche Blackstock, whose new book LEGACY discusses the history of the effects of race on health care. I think the book only came out within the past couple of weeks and so I thought I'd drop you a note about it. It sounds eye-opening and just like something you might like to review. Take care of yourself!
No wonder we are all stressed and unhappy (for corporate greed perhaps). Explains the epidemic of mental health issues and the consequences-- such as gun violence, suicides and extremism.--and as well a cycle of more illness from people working while ill. Is what this my grandfathers envisioned for us when they liberated Europe? Liberal snowflake rant concluded for now.
The US practice of forcing or coercing employees to work while sick is immoral and short-sighted. Especially nurses! I am shocked that you were only granted two sick days. How inhuman.
When I was a high school teacher, in theory we had sick days, but the school refused to hire subs. So if we were sick and wanted to stay home, we had to ask our colleagues and friends to give up their free periods and cover our classes for us, so of course we were all extremely reluctant to do that. That is how coercion works. I didn’t take a single sick day during my entire three years working there, and I guarantee that kids and other teachers got sick because I came in sick. (Plus, when I was sick I would just put on a movie or ask the kids to use class time to catch up on homework while I shivered and snuffled at my desk, so it’s not like my presence was valuable to them.)
Here’s how sick leave works in Europe: If you are sick, you call in to say you are taking a sick day, and they say “No problem. Feel better.” If you need to be out for more than three days, you need to send in a doctor’s note, but that is no problem because everyone has a primary care doctor (universal health care ftw!), and the offices are set up to email notes when needed. There is no limit to sick days, nor is there ever any pressure to work sick. This is the way it should be everywhere.
I am so sorry that you have covid again and a nasty case at that. Feel better soon. As a survivor of a bone marrow transplant for AML leukemia, I am appalled that nurses would be forced to work on such a unit while sick. Their presence while sick could actually kill a patient. Fortunately, Memorial Sloan Kettering where I had my transplant does give their nurses adequate paid sick time.
I would also like to offer best wishes for a speedy recovery; having COVID is no joke. Theresa, this issue of working while sick is just so stupid, as it flys in the face of everything we know both about infectious conditions and MSK injuries which impair physical activity. You had an excellent post about this issue some months back, and keeping it on the “front burner” to be seen and discussed is a smart way to keep the issue front and center with our industry. The hope is that a reasonable system can be hammered out between healthcare workers and management which will provide protection for staff and patients while minimizing any “gaming” of the system.
A fight for another day, Theresa, though not today. Now is for your rest and recuperation from your illness, as we all need your voice for the long haul…
Hi, Theresa - hope you are doing better each day! I do not have anything to add to the very good comments already expressed here, but always find your columns thought-provoking and spot on. All of us in health care need to take better care of ourselves and our colleagues as well as our patients! I am watching MSNBC this morning and they have just interviewed Dr. Uche Blackstock, whose new book LEGACY discusses the history of the effects of race on health care. I think the book only came out within the past couple of weeks and so I thought I'd drop you a note about it. It sounds eye-opening and just like something you might like to review. Take care of yourself!
No wonder we are all stressed and unhappy (for corporate greed perhaps). Explains the epidemic of mental health issues and the consequences-- such as gun violence, suicides and extremism.--and as well a cycle of more illness from people working while ill. Is what this my grandfathers envisioned for us when they liberated Europe? Liberal snowflake rant concluded for now.
I have thought alot about this.
Some results from PTO.
Meaning that total days off = sick + vacay.
So what would I do?
Got to work sick to preserve my vacation.
Ridiculous.
I hope you’re feeling better, Theresa.
The US practice of forcing or coercing employees to work while sick is immoral and short-sighted. Especially nurses! I am shocked that you were only granted two sick days. How inhuman.
When I was a high school teacher, in theory we had sick days, but the school refused to hire subs. So if we were sick and wanted to stay home, we had to ask our colleagues and friends to give up their free periods and cover our classes for us, so of course we were all extremely reluctant to do that. That is how coercion works. I didn’t take a single sick day during my entire three years working there, and I guarantee that kids and other teachers got sick because I came in sick. (Plus, when I was sick I would just put on a movie or ask the kids to use class time to catch up on homework while I shivered and snuffled at my desk, so it’s not like my presence was valuable to them.)
Here’s how sick leave works in Europe: If you are sick, you call in to say you are taking a sick day, and they say “No problem. Feel better.” If you need to be out for more than three days, you need to send in a doctor’s note, but that is no problem because everyone has a primary care doctor (universal health care ftw!), and the offices are set up to email notes when needed. There is no limit to sick days, nor is there ever any pressure to work sick. This is the way it should be everywhere.
I am so sorry that you have covid again and a nasty case at that. Feel better soon. As a survivor of a bone marrow transplant for AML leukemia, I am appalled that nurses would be forced to work on such a unit while sick. Their presence while sick could actually kill a patient. Fortunately, Memorial Sloan Kettering where I had my transplant does give their nurses adequate paid sick time.
P.S. Apologies, I think I spelled “flys” wrong; not nice to do that to an English professor!
I would also like to offer best wishes for a speedy recovery; having COVID is no joke. Theresa, this issue of working while sick is just so stupid, as it flys in the face of everything we know both about infectious conditions and MSK injuries which impair physical activity. You had an excellent post about this issue some months back, and keeping it on the “front burner” to be seen and discussed is a smart way to keep the issue front and center with our industry. The hope is that a reasonable system can be hammered out between healthcare workers and management which will provide protection for staff and patients while minimizing any “gaming” of the system.
A fight for another day, Theresa, though not today. Now is for your rest and recuperation from your illness, as we all need your voice for the long haul…
Hope you are feeling better ❤️