Is it just me, or do the admins of a lot of schools just not understand the concept of a “sick day”? I’ve taken sick days maybe 3 times in the last 7 months (food poisoning was one, flu was another, and the last was something i can’t remember). Each time I’ve taken sick days, I have been scrutinized and told I am not serious about teaching.
So because I am sick and opt to stay home and recover instead of do a half-assed job at work and potentially get my students sick as well, I am labeled as a person who isn’t serious about his work. I mean school admins have seriously gotten all huffy over this and threatened to dock pay from me for taking any more sick days.
It really seems that unless you are on your death bed, these people expect you to show up for work no matter what. My opinion is that’s wrong, but I’m interested in hearing what others here think. Ideas?
Steve-o,
I dont get paid for taking a day off sick, and i imagine neither do the locals. IT IS INSANE go to work when you have an illness which can be passed to others, especially with children around. But they do it, cos the almighty NT dollar is needed.
BTW a day off for the flu: pussy!
I actually feel like shite myself today, but prefer to spread it around than lose 4000 dollars.
Yea well the not being paid doesn’t even bother me. It’s just the fact they call into question my professionalism just because I’m sick and opt to stay home.
And when I had the flu, I don’t think the kids or admin would have liked to see me vomiting my internal organs, as it seemed was happening at the time.
I’ve had a few boughts with serious illness here. Schools don’t like cancelling classes for obvious reasons, and they don’t like getting subs.
If you work for a decent school, there shouldn’t be much of a problem. I always give them a day or two notice if possible, then work with them on rescheduling or finding a sub.
If they try to tell you that you aren’t professional, fuck them. Even the boss gets sick from time to time, and doesn’t go in.
3 times is not that much especially in 7 months. However many teachers opt to take 3 or 4 a month. THey get labeled and then…so do the rest. I don’t know, but in the past some teachers here were sick on friday and monday. Then then next day they would talk about how drunk they got…
Put 2 and 2 together and you got the reason
We all suffer from the half assed teachers out there who don’t care about teaching.
scroll down/search for a thread titled “contracts and labor standards act” initiated by daryl_ks. very pertinent to this topic. (pertinent like bushibanners get 30 sickdays a year @half pay.)
I had no trouble getting sick days - in fact even the one time I really felt quite guilty about going home, because I’d given her no notice, and left about ten minutes before class was to begin, my boss’ reaction was concern and an offer to take me to the hospital.
That said, I experienced the opposite in Korea. My favorite - I went to work on the day I was having a miscarriage (why, I don’t know - the Protestant work ethic is a terrible thing), but was eventually unable to continue, only to have the secretary try to babytalk me into staying, the manager cursing, and the boss furious.
