I work in fast food. If you are sick you have to work anyway,unless someone will cover your shift,which you never find anyone. You can be hacking,sneezing snot shooting out and down your face they won't let you go home until your off work. You could have severe menstral cramps and be in tears and they won't let you go home. You could have pain shooting up one of your arms,and limping and be working one handed,which really slows things down and they don't let u go home. I've seen it all. You could be running to the bathroom throwing up and you can't go home. You could be falling asleep while your working because you didn't sleep for 2 days and they won't send u home. one girl called in because she had a bladder infection and said she had to pee every 5minutes a nd if she was told she had to wait to use the bathroom,she said she would have pissed her pants. I would have went in to work if that was the case I would drop everything so I didn't piss myself but you would get alot of dirty looks and people irritated because it would be so disruptive and slow the store down.
Does your job not allow you to stay home if your sick?
09/22/2010
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
I'm self employed, so if I don't go to work, I don't get paid. That being said, I work with babies, so I CAN'T work if I'm sick because of the babies.
Of course, lately, business is SO bad, that I'm not getting any clients anyway. *sigh* I'm so freaking broke lately.
I think food service should NOT allow sick people to work. Yuck. It isn't good for the person or the customers.
Of course, lately, business is SO bad, that I'm not getting any clients anyway. *sigh* I'm so freaking broke lately.
I think food service should NOT allow sick people to work. Yuck. It isn't good for the person or the customers.
09/22/2010
Same, i work in motel room cleaning, and unless you have a doctor's note, you can't call off sick. Otherwise it's unexcused and a writeup. They just did this recently because people called off left and right just to have off days.
09/22/2010
That's ridiculous, and most likely illegal, too. Especially in the food industry, if you're sick, you shouldn't be working. I don't know much about the laws surrounding this, but I'm pretty sure by law if you call in sick the employer can't fire you.. only if you're a no call/no show. I work at a Diner, and I am encouraged to go home or stay home if I'm sick, so as not to infect anyone else or make myself even more sick.
Plus, I don't care WHO tells me I can't stay home.. if I'm not coming in to work, I'm not coming in. Fire me if you want, no boss can make me come in to work if I'm not feeling well. I'm not a child, and I won't be treated like one, especially by my employer.
Plus, I don't care WHO tells me I can't stay home.. if I'm not coming in to work, I'm not coming in. Fire me if you want, no boss can make me come in to work if I'm not feeling well. I'm not a child, and I won't be treated like one, especially by my employer.
09/22/2010
Quote:
well if sick people can't work at my job they would have to close the store because everyone is sick and there isn't enough workers as is.
Originally posted by
Not here
That's ridiculous, and most likely illegal, too. Especially in the food industry, if you're sick, you shouldn't be working. I don't know much about the laws surrounding this, but I'm pretty sure by law if you call in sick the
...
more
That's ridiculous, and most likely illegal, too. Especially in the food industry, if you're sick, you shouldn't be working. I don't know much about the laws surrounding this, but I'm pretty sure by law if you call in sick the employer can't fire you.. only if you're a no call/no show. I work at a Diner, and I am encouraged to go home or stay home if I'm sick, so as not to infect anyone else or make myself even more sick.
Plus, I don't care WHO tells me I can't stay home.. if I'm not coming in to work, I'm not coming in. Fire me if you want, no boss can make me come in to work if I'm not feeling well. I'm not a child, and I won't be treated like one, especially by my employer. less
Plus, I don't care WHO tells me I can't stay home.. if I'm not coming in to work, I'm not coming in. Fire me if you want, no boss can make me come in to work if I'm not feeling well. I'm not a child, and I won't be treated like one, especially by my employer. less
09/22/2010
Quote:
Like I said, I'm not sure about the laws, but it just seems to be totally immorally to me, if nothing else. Sick people stay sick if they aren't allowed time to recover, which is probably why everyone you work with is sick. Your employers are putting a lot of people at risk by forcing you and everyone you work with to work when sick. I'm definitely not arguing with you in any way though, just shocked at how insensitive some employers can be.
Originally posted by
kinky girlfriend
well if sick people can't work at my job they would have to close the store because everyone is sick and there isn't enough workers as is.
09/22/2010
Quote:
you get 2 days off a week but some people have to work everyday they chose to because they can't afford not to. to miss work u need a doctor's note and I don't have money or insurance for that. yes they are insensitive..I have this joke I think of when I think of ppl sick at work. you could be barfing all over the food and they would say "when your done with that go sweep and mop"
Originally posted by
Not here
Like I said, I'm not sure about the laws, but it just seems to be totally immorally to me, if nothing else. Sick people stay sick if they aren't allowed time to recover, which is probably why everyone you work with is sick. Your employers are
...
more
Like I said, I'm not sure about the laws, but it just seems to be totally immorally to me, if nothing else. Sick people stay sick if they aren't allowed time to recover, which is probably why everyone you work with is sick. Your employers are putting a lot of people at risk by forcing you and everyone you work with to work when sick. I'm definitely not arguing with you in any way though, just shocked at how insensitive some employers can be.
less
09/22/2010
Quote:
The only reason your employer is getting away with this is no one is complaining because they fear reprisal. To be fair the only recourse most cities have is the unemployment office won't send applicants anymore. In food service that is a BIG no-no but no one enforces it. I, too, have worked through pneumonia, shattered teeth, miscarriage, cuts that required me to take an hour off to get stitched (My parents stepped in when they wanted to make me finish my shift after getting 6 stitches and a shot for pain!)
Originally posted by
kinky girlfriend
I work in fast food. If you are sick you have to work anyway,unless someone will cover your shift,which you never find anyone. You can be hacking,sneezing snot shooting out and down your face they won't let you go home until your off work. You
...
more
I work in fast food. If you are sick you have to work anyway,unless someone will cover your shift,which you never find anyone. You can be hacking,sneezing snot shooting out and down your face they won't let you go home until your off work. You could have severe menstral cramps and be in tears and they won't let you go home. You could have pain shooting up one of your arms,and limping and be working one handed,which really slows things down and they don't let u go home. I've seen it all. You could be running to the bathroom throwing up and you can't go home. You could be falling asleep while your working because you didn't sleep for 2 days and they won't send u home. one girl called in because she had a bladder infection and said she had to pee every 5minutes a nd if she was told she had to wait to use the bathroom,she said she would have pissed her pants. I would have went in to work if that was the case I would drop everything so I didn't piss myself but you would get alot of dirty looks and people irritated because it would be so disruptive and slow the store down.
less
As I got older I realized that these "managers" whom I thought controlled the rotation of the planet weren't going to fire me, cut my hours or anything they threatened because they needed me as much as I needed that job and I started asserting my rights. Like it's illegal to pay you for a free work week and not allow you to take your vacation days. Denying you accrued sick days is another illegal act, as is requiring a doctor's note for a less than 1 shift absence, at least it's illegal in my State.
Still at my current job I don't get sick days, or much time off but I can take a nap if I need to! Once the house is clean, kids have their schoolwork, and baby is happy I can write reviews and watch tv. I love my job!
09/22/2010
Quote:
so you had a miscarriage at work? wat did they say? "To be fair the only recourse most cities have is the unemployment office won't send applicants anymore."
Originally posted by
Airen Wolf
The only reason your employer is getting away with this is no one is complaining because they fear reprisal. To be fair the only recourse most cities have is the unemployment office won't send applicants anymore. In food service that is a BIG
...
more
The only reason your employer is getting away with this is no one is complaining because they fear reprisal. To be fair the only recourse most cities have is the unemployment office won't send applicants anymore. In food service that is a BIG no-no but no one enforces it. I, too, have worked through pneumonia, shattered teeth, miscarriage, cuts that required me to take an hour off to get stitched (My parents stepped in when they wanted to make me finish my shift after getting 6 stitches and a shot for pain!)
As I got older I realized that these "managers" whom I thought controlled the rotation of the planet weren't going to fire me, cut my hours or anything they threatened because they needed me as much as I needed that job and I started asserting my rights. Like it's illegal to pay you for a free work week and not allow you to take your vacation days. Denying you accrued sick days is another illegal act, as is requiring a doctor's note for a less than 1 shift absence, at least it's illegal in my State.
Still at my current job I don't get sick days, or much time off but I can take a nap if I need to! Once the house is clean, kids have their schoolwork, and baby is happy I can write reviews and watch tv. I love my job! less
As I got older I realized that these "managers" whom I thought controlled the rotation of the planet weren't going to fire me, cut my hours or anything they threatened because they needed me as much as I needed that job and I started asserting my rights. Like it's illegal to pay you for a free work week and not allow you to take your vacation days. Denying you accrued sick days is another illegal act, as is requiring a doctor's note for a less than 1 shift absence, at least it's illegal in my State.
Still at my current job I don't get sick days, or much time off but I can take a nap if I need to! Once the house is clean, kids have their schoolwork, and baby is happy I can write reviews and watch tv. I love my job! less
wat does that mean?
09/22/2010
Quote:
Nope, I just lace up my boots and go to work sick
Originally posted by
kinky girlfriend
I work in fast food. If you are sick you have to work anyway,unless someone will cover your shift,which you never find anyone. You can be hacking,sneezing snot shooting out and down your face they won't let you go home until your off work. You
...
more
I work in fast food. If you are sick you have to work anyway,unless someone will cover your shift,which you never find anyone. You can be hacking,sneezing snot shooting out and down your face they won't let you go home until your off work. You could have severe menstral cramps and be in tears and they won't let you go home. You could have pain shooting up one of your arms,and limping and be working one handed,which really slows things down and they don't let u go home. I've seen it all. You could be running to the bathroom throwing up and you can't go home. You could be falling asleep while your working because you didn't sleep for 2 days and they won't send u home. one girl called in because she had a bladder infection and said she had to pee every 5minutes a nd if she was told she had to wait to use the bathroom,she said she would have pissed her pants. I would have went in to work if that was the case I would drop everything so I didn't piss myself but you would get alot of dirty looks and people irritated because it would be so disruptive and slow the store down.
less
09/22/2010
I get 3 paid sick days a year but sometimes take more than that. My company is pretty leniant about time off though, as long as everyone's jobs still get done so everyone goes over their allotted vacation/personal/sick time a little now and then. If I'm sick, I usually try and come in, do what absolutely must get done that day, and then leave if I can't pull it off - they definitely appreciate that more but since even when I'm really sick I'm rarely out for more than a day or two, I've never had anyone harass me about it.
When I worked for a big insurance company, we had more sick days than we'd ever use. For every year you worked there you earned another 6 or something insane like that. But since it was corporate and very red-tape, it was in the policies that if you missed more than one day you needed a doctors note, but once you had that, they couldn't do anything - bound by their own policy. It's also in the handbook where I work now, but more as a CYA measure than anything else - in 6 years I've never seen it enforced.
A lot of offices are now enforcing the policy that if you're sick, they don't want you there - your productivity generally sucks, your error ratio skyrockets, and you then infect the rest of the staff. It's just bad business, basically.
When I worked for a big insurance company, we had more sick days than we'd ever use. For every year you worked there you earned another 6 or something insane like that. But since it was corporate and very red-tape, it was in the policies that if you missed more than one day you needed a doctors note, but once you had that, they couldn't do anything - bound by their own policy. It's also in the handbook where I work now, but more as a CYA measure than anything else - in 6 years I've never seen it enforced.
A lot of offices are now enforcing the policy that if you're sick, they don't want you there - your productivity generally sucks, your error ratio skyrockets, and you then infect the rest of the staff. It's just bad business, basically.
09/22/2010
I've had my LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY questioned when I called in once! Funny thing was this was a grocery store and I was a bagger working for $4.75/hr. The total sincerity of the accusation was so ridiculous I laughed right into the phone (and hacked a bit). When I came in for the following shift, nothing was mentioned about it. It's then I learned that I was more indispensable than they wanted to admit.
Needless to say, I felt a bit smug years later when they filed bankruptcy and closed all their stores in the county.
Needless to say, I felt a bit smug years later when they filed bankruptcy and closed all their stores in the county.
09/22/2010
I'm right there with you. Every job I've ever had has been like that. And I understand where you're comming from. Especially right now. So many people are out of work and just need money that your employer could fire you and replace you in less than a week. (I recently found out how true that was when I quit my job and they had a replacement for me 4 days later) I've worked in 3 different states and if you did get fired in any of those states (for the above mentioned reason), IF you got unemployment for it, it would take over a month just for you to get your first check. Then IF their employees waited that long most would be homeless or nearly homeless with so much debt they'd have to immediately find a job and therefore would lose the unemployment.
I found out from the get go that all minimum wage or similar jobs were like this. My first job, I sprained my ankle getting out of my grandmother's van. I stepped wrong on a pothole in the parking lot. My manager told my grandmother, who went in to tell them she was taking me to the ER, I had to be there. When my grandma insisted she was taking me to the hospital the manager told her that she (the manager) would only accept my Dr. note if *I* brought it in. Imagine how pissed I was having to hobble in there with a severely sprained ankle to give her that note. BTW I quit that day as well. I was 16 and really didn't need the job anyways.
I found out from the get go that all minimum wage or similar jobs were like this. My first job, I sprained my ankle getting out of my grandmother's van. I stepped wrong on a pothole in the parking lot. My manager told my grandmother, who went in to tell them she was taking me to the ER, I had to be there. When my grandma insisted she was taking me to the hospital the manager told her that she (the manager) would only accept my Dr. note if *I* brought it in. Imagine how pissed I was having to hobble in there with a severely sprained ankle to give her that note. BTW I quit that day as well. I was 16 and really didn't need the job anyways.
09/23/2010
Quote:
The manager advised me that in his opinion it was simply a "hard period" and made me walk across the street to get pads from the grocery store. One of the cooks knew Sigel and put me on his motorcycle and took me to the emergency room where they confirmed it was a non-viable miscarriage. I received $2,500 in cmpensation which was the total bill of my hosital stay since I also had a massive infection and was running a 103 fever. All of which our "medical" manager knew but chose to disregard because he "needed" me to work. When Sigel arrived in town he caught the manager and beat the piss out of him.
Originally posted by
kinky girlfriend
so you had a miscarriage at work? wat did they say? "To be fair the only recourse most cities have is the unemployment office won't send applicants anymore."
wat does that mean?
wat does that mean?
In our State if a business fired too many people for spurious reasons the unemployment office can yank the application process from them, meaning they won't send new applicants for positions in that business. Since most businesses get a tax break for hiring from the unemployment office it is an effective threat.
09/24/2010
Quote:
Well for fuck's sake you disloyal little twit how DARE you get sick and have to call out of your minimum wage job! *Forehead slap* Good lord I would have laughed and asked the idiot to repeat that into my answering machine so I could make a laugh track out of it. Loyalty to the company...how funny.
Originally posted by
Chilipepper
I've had my LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY questioned when I called in once! Funny thing was this was a grocery store and I was a bagger working for $4.75/hr. The total sincerity of the accusation was so ridiculous I laughed right into the phone (and
...
more
I've had my LOYALTY TO THE COMPANY questioned when I called in once! Funny thing was this was a grocery store and I was a bagger working for $4.75/hr. The total sincerity of the accusation was so ridiculous I laughed right into the phone (and hacked a bit). When I came in for the following shift, nothing was mentioned about it. It's then I learned that I was more indispensable than they wanted to admit.
Needless to say, I felt a bit smug years later when they filed bankruptcy and closed all their stores in the county. less
Needless to say, I felt a bit smug years later when they filed bankruptcy and closed all their stores in the county. less
09/24/2010
Quote:
what did the beat up manager do or say later? Too bad bosse's or managers can't accept the fact we are all people,not just workers and we have limits.
Originally posted by
Airen Wolf
The manager advised me that in his opinion it was simply a "hard period" and made me walk across the street to get pads from the grocery store. One of the cooks knew Sigel and put me on his motorcycle and took me to the emergency room where
...
more
The manager advised me that in his opinion it was simply a "hard period" and made me walk across the street to get pads from the grocery store. One of the cooks knew Sigel and put me on his motorcycle and took me to the emergency room where they confirmed it was a non-viable miscarriage. I received $2,500 in cmpensation which was the total bill of my hosital stay since I also had a massive infection and was running a 103 fever. All of which our "medical" manager knew but chose to disregard because he "needed" me to work. When Sigel arrived in town he caught the manager and beat the piss out of him.
In our State if a business fired too many people for spurious reasons the unemployment office can yank the application process from them, meaning they won't send new applicants for positions in that business. Since most businesses get a tax break for hiring from the unemployment office it is an effective threat. less
In our State if a business fired too many people for spurious reasons the unemployment office can yank the application process from them, meaning they won't send new applicants for positions in that business. Since most businesses get a tax break for hiring from the unemployment office it is an effective threat. less
09/24/2010
Quote:
I got sent home early today I was coughing so bad I was gaging and almost threw up a few times. One manager said she didn't want to see it or hear it and she sent me home early. The other manager was on break,who was in charge just ignores you no matter how sick you are. I mean It was terrible hacking and gagging all around the food. I waited until I was told to go. The manager who sent me home looked pissed for some reason. The one I said who ignores people even if your in tears he ignores you. One girl was limping and working with one hand he wouldn't send her home.
Originally posted by
Airen Wolf
Well for fuck's sake you disloyal little twit how DARE you get sick and have to call out of your minimum wage job! *Forehead slap* Good lord I would have laughed and asked the idiot to repeat that into my answering machine so I could make a laugh
...
more
Well for fuck's sake you disloyal little twit how DARE you get sick and have to call out of your minimum wage job! *Forehead slap* Good lord I would have laughed and asked the idiot to repeat that into my answering machine so I could make a laugh track out of it. Loyalty to the company...how funny.
less
09/24/2010
You can bet it is filtering down from higher up, somehow. The managers are displaying roughly the same mentality used by the functionaries in totalitarian regimes "just following orders".
09/24/2010
Quote:
the policy there is you can't miss work if you don't have anyone to cover your shift. 2 people were texed and didn't respond. another guy was off at 7pm he said he wanted to stay but had things he had to do like his homework because he worked 10 hours on sat. and worked sun. No matter how bad you are if u leave it's called walking out and you get a write up and even a 3 day suspension sometimes. If you do it again they can fire you. what do you mean filtering down from higher up? Even the store manager one day heard from another manager "bob called in sick he was supposed to work" and he was annoying or pissed or somethin and said I'm sick and I'm working.
Originally posted by
ScottA
You can bet it is filtering down from higher up, somehow. The managers are displaying roughly the same mentality used by the functionaries in totalitarian regimes "just following orders".
unless your on the floor or needing the ER you can't go. I've seen a woman 5 monthes prego with severe pain using someone cell phone to find a ride to the ER she didn't find one so the same manager who sent me home early today was the person who drove her there. she was like "DO YOU WANT HER TO HAVE A MISSCARAGE ON THE FLOOR?"
It should be required all jobs give you a few sick days a year,why isn't it?
09/24/2010
They would fire us if we called off sick.
09/25/2010
Can't the Labor Board or something be contacted if it's that bad?
09/25/2010
Quote:
It's called a 'Right to Work' law, but it's really a 'Right to Fire' law; it's like renting month-to-month instead of having a lease - no job security, and the employer can fire you without reason or warning. You are a contract employee. Florida's Right to Work law has screwed so many people to the point that employers are wondering why they have a labor shortage in the recession ... besides the fact nobody wants to be treated like shoe scum for min wage, physically demanding work, long hours without overtime pay, no benefits, and no security. Are we really supposed to give our all if we're threatened with being fired every shift? If you don't value us, we don't take your business seriously. It doesn't matter how desperate we need the money to pay the bills ... it's $200 short of the rent, anyway.
Originally posted by
kinky girlfriend
the policy there is you can't miss work if you don't have anyone to cover your shift. 2 people were texed and didn't respond. another guy was off at 7pm he said he wanted to stay but had things he had to do like his homework because he
...
more
the policy there is you can't miss work if you don't have anyone to cover your shift. 2 people were texed and didn't respond. another guy was off at 7pm he said he wanted to stay but had things he had to do like his homework because he worked 10 hours on sat. and worked sun. No matter how bad you are if u leave it's called walking out and you get a write up and even a 3 day suspension sometimes. If you do it again they can fire you. what do you mean filtering down from higher up? Even the store manager one day heard from another manager "bob called in sick he was supposed to work" and he was annoying or pissed or somethin and said I'm sick and I'm working.
unless your on the floor or needing the ER you can't go. I've seen a woman 5 monthes prego with severe pain using someone cell phone to find a ride to the ER she didn't find one so the same manager who sent me home early today was the person who drove her there. she was like "DO YOU WANT HER TO HAVE A MISSCARAGE ON THE FLOOR?"
It should be required all jobs give you a few sick days a year,why isn't it? less
unless your on the floor or needing the ER you can't go. I've seen a woman 5 monthes prego with severe pain using someone cell phone to find a ride to the ER she didn't find one so the same manager who sent me home early today was the person who drove her there. she was like "DO YOU WANT HER TO HAVE A MISSCARAGE ON THE FLOOR?"
It should be required all jobs give you a few sick days a year,why isn't it? less
(As anyone can tell, I have reached my cynicism threshold concerning the American labor market. It's cheaper to pay us min wage and fire us when raise time comes because keeping slaves is expensive.)
09/25/2010
Quote:
That's why there are managers who get paid a salary. It's one of the cons of earning a salary. You work extra hours when hours need to be covered, but you also don't have to worry about missing a day's work and not earning enough to pay your bills.
Originally posted by
kinky girlfriend
well if sick people can't work at my job they would have to close the store because everyone is sick and there isn't enough workers as is.
I don't want sick people handling my food. I would call my bosses boss and complain of them not letting people off because the only reason they aren't giving people their sick days is because they don't want to cover the shifts and have it fuck with their days off.
09/25/2010
Holy Hannah! This is madness! If i am sick, I call and say I am sick. I don't get any slack. My boss would rather us get better and not infect anyone else.
sure we don't get paid but we rack up enough vacation hours that if need be we can tack some onto our week to make up the difference.
sure we don't get paid but we rack up enough vacation hours that if need be we can tack some onto our week to make up the difference.
09/25/2010
Quote:
she really didn't wait long for a ride and she is back to work again. I just thought someon should have just got up and left to driver her there tho.If she couldn't work I'm sure she would have had a doctor's note from the er trip
Originally posted by
Envy
Can't the Labor Board or something be contacted if it's that bad?
09/25/2010
Unions are a great thing that are sadly undervalued in the modern world.
What you're bringing up is exactly the type of behavior that led to the creation of the unions.
What you're bringing up is exactly the type of behavior that led to the creation of the unions.
09/25/2010
I hate to say this, but this kind of practice is not as unheard of as we'd like to think; it's happening everywhere there is a low-pay entry level position. The maid you hire from the agency, the fast-food worker, the guy stocking your grocery store shelves overnight... It's insidious.
People taking these low-pay jobs need the money, and often cannot afford to work elsewhere (the better paying job might not be on the bus line, for example, or their second job would be affected by the other job, etc.) so when they get ill, they can't afford to take off. When they can't financially afford to take off, they go to work sick and infect their coworkers, who also cannot afford to take off. Because they're working through an illness, often without medical coverage or access to health care, they stay sicker longer, and their overall health declines. Because overall health declines, they get sick easier and for longer. Because they can't afford to take off, they go to work sick...
There are some really powerful ethnographies documenting practices like this in ubiquitous locations, the two that come to mind are Working and Nickel and Dimed
Of course, not every low-pay or entry-level job is like this, and not every fast-food place or grocery store or Wal-Mart does this, but...
The best you can do, Kinky Girlfriend, is do your best to keep yourself healthy and in good shape. Best of luck.
People taking these low-pay jobs need the money, and often cannot afford to work elsewhere (the better paying job might not be on the bus line, for example, or their second job would be affected by the other job, etc.) so when they get ill, they can't afford to take off. When they can't financially afford to take off, they go to work sick and infect their coworkers, who also cannot afford to take off. Because they're working through an illness, often without medical coverage or access to health care, they stay sicker longer, and their overall health declines. Because overall health declines, they get sick easier and for longer. Because they can't afford to take off, they go to work sick...
There are some really powerful ethnographies documenting practices like this in ubiquitous locations, the two that come to mind are Working and Nickel and Dimed
Of course, not every low-pay or entry-level job is like this, and not every fast-food place or grocery store or Wal-Mart does this, but...
The best you can do, Kinky Girlfriend, is do your best to keep yourself healthy and in good shape. Best of luck.
09/25/2010
Kinky:
What state do you live in? If I were you, I would be checking out the state labor laws, STAT!
What state do you live in? If I were you, I would be checking out the state labor laws, STAT!
09/25/2010
Quote:
Well said, Ms. Surprise!!!
Originally posted by
DeliciousSurprise
I hate to say this, but this kind of practice is not as unheard of as we'd like to think; it's happening everywhere there is a low-pay entry level position. The maid you hire from the agency, the fast-food worker, the guy stocking your
...
more
I hate to say this, but this kind of practice is not as unheard of as we'd like to think; it's happening everywhere there is a low-pay entry level position. The maid you hire from the agency, the fast-food worker, the guy stocking your grocery store shelves overnight... It's insidious.
People taking these low-pay jobs need the money, and often cannot afford to work elsewhere (the better paying job might not be on the bus line, for example, or their second job would be affected by the other job, etc.) so when they get ill, they can't afford to take off. When they can't financially afford to take off, they go to work sick and infect their coworkers, who also cannot afford to take off. Because they're working through an illness, often without medical coverage or access to health care, they stay sicker longer, and their overall health declines. Because overall health declines, they get sick easier and for longer. Because they can't afford to take off, they go to work sick...
There are some really powerful ethnographies documenting practices like this in ubiquitous locations, the two that come to mind are Working and Nickel and Dimed
Of course, not every low-pay or entry-level job is like this, and not every fast-food place or grocery store or Wal-Mart does this, but...
The best you can do, Kinky Girlfriend, is do your best to keep yourself healthy and in good shape. Best of luck. less
People taking these low-pay jobs need the money, and often cannot afford to work elsewhere (the better paying job might not be on the bus line, for example, or their second job would be affected by the other job, etc.) so when they get ill, they can't afford to take off. When they can't financially afford to take off, they go to work sick and infect their coworkers, who also cannot afford to take off. Because they're working through an illness, often without medical coverage or access to health care, they stay sicker longer, and their overall health declines. Because overall health declines, they get sick easier and for longer. Because they can't afford to take off, they go to work sick...
There are some really powerful ethnographies documenting practices like this in ubiquitous locations, the two that come to mind are Working and Nickel and Dimed
Of course, not every low-pay or entry-level job is like this, and not every fast-food place or grocery store or Wal-Mart does this, but...
The best you can do, Kinky Girlfriend, is do your best to keep yourself healthy and in good shape. Best of luck. less
09/25/2010
Quote:
It's not so bad I went home early yesterday and sent today sick to my stomach.
Originally posted by
YvetteJeannine
Kinky:
What state do you live in? If I were you, I would be checking out the state labor laws, STAT!
What state do you live in? If I were you, I would be checking out the state labor laws, STAT!
09/25/2010
Total posts: 30
Unique posters: 15