STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

Unspoken Rules

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Unless it's work-friends, what's the big deal?

Seriously, I wouldn't even think twice about it. Sometimes all you need is just a nap and a flat soda to feel better, two things you surely won't get at work. I've actually left work early to go home and puke, after which I totally felt better but I didn't go back to work.

And besides, it's outside of work-hours so unless you have a habit of being late, calling in sick, etc, I'm not quite sure what sort of ground your boss could stand on if she did find out and did reprimand you.

Kelly · Hermes

I always stay home, even if I feel better. I'm sure it doesn't help that I work for my family, so if I go home sick and then they see me out or come over to check on me and I'm not home, they'll assume I was faking it (even if I just truly do feel better after a day of rest). But whether I worked for my family or not, I think the guilt would keep me home. I guess my theory is (I'm in no way saying this is what you "should" or "must" do, but this is just how I think about it) that if I'm well enough to go out and socialize, then I'm well enough to sit at my desk. And if I think I'll feel better later, I try to wait it out at my desk. I try not to go home unless I'm nearly dead or something, so if I do feel better later I don't go out just so it doesn't look like I just left work to play hooky or something. Even if I'm going out with someone who doesn't have any connection with work and the story would never get back to work.

-- Edited by ttara123 at 10:24, 2008-07-23

HeatherLynn · Gucci

ttara123 wrote:

I always stay home, even if I feel better. I'm sure it doesn't help that I work for my family, so if I go home sick and then they see me out or come over to check on me and I'm not home, they'll assume I was faking it (even if I just truly do feel better after a day of rest). But whether I worked for my family or not, I think the guilt would keep me home. I guess my theory is (I'm in no way saying this is what you "should" or "must" do, but this is just how I think about it) that if I'm well enough to go out and socialize, then I'm well enough to sit at my desk. And if I think I'll feel better later, I try to wait it out at my desk. I try not to go home unless I'm nearly dead or something, so if I do feel better later I don't go out just so it doesn't look like I just left work to play hooky or something. Even if I'm going out with someone who doesn't have any connection with work and the story would never get back to work.

-- Edited by ttara123 at 10:24, 2008-07-23

This is what I do too. I don't have a problem with people going home sick and then going out later if they want to, but I don't. I think it comes from when I was little and in school. If I didn't go to school my parents absolutely would not let me go out and play that night. They said (like what tara123 said) that if I felt okay to do stuff with friends then I should have been at school. I think that has been stored in my brain and I can't forget it!

I have heard some coworkers talking about some girl who goes home from work (regularly!!) sick and then they see her out at the bars later. So I guess there is always the risk you could see a coworker out. If that would make you uncomfortable then I would probably skip it.

subwolley · Kate Spade

You know, sometimes you just don't feel like working. And who cares. We all work too much anyway. If you want to go to dinner I say go.

Bastet · Kate Spade

If I were in that situation, I'd go out as long as I felt better. Personally, I don't feel guilty if I leave work because I feel crappy and then go out later. When I'm at work, I get a ton of work done, and if I feel like crap and I'm not missing an important meeting or a deadline, I go home. I take leave, like we're supposed to. If I feel better later, I go out (just not with co-workers!).

-- Edited by Bastet at 16:33, 2008-07-23

Suasoria · Chanel

What's the downside? Are you afraid of being seen?

Honestly, I wouldn't think twice about it if I felt up to it. If someone is expecting me for dinner, I think it would be rude to flake on them, unless you're contagious or something.

When I think of all the time people spend working on the weekends, after hours, when they're on vacation, or just being "on call" and expected to be available constantly thanks to cell phones and email, I really don't see the problem taking some personal time now and then whether you're sick or not.

blubirde · Chanel

Oh geez. I call in sick if my eye twitches too much. I'm exaggerating, slightly, but I'd have no qualms about going to a dinner, if I felt up to it, if I'd called out sick to work (or gone home early). The only thing I'd feel slightly weird about doing would be going to lunch downtown (my work area) for fear someone might see me. For instance once I had a very sore throat and my bf picked me up during the day to take me for some soup (he's not a cook). I felt able to move my ass from the couch to his car to a restaurant table and back again but that was about it. Anyway, that's a long way of saying sometimes you feel able to do things even when you can't handle being at work, for whatever reason.

In case it's not obvious, I wouldn't worry about it.

Cortney1982 · Chanel

Why not!? People get better. At my work they'd prefer you take the rest of the day off instead of coming back.

Just because you call in sick doesn't mean your scheduled to be sick until 12:59pm.

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

Thank you everyone. I guess I'm just a bit skittish because of having bosses who get bent out of shape when employees call off. If I were to ever run into any of them at a store or something (which has happened on weekends before), I would hear about it.

tina242 · Kate Spade

Agree - if you want to go to dinner, go! Don't let your bosses control your life! biggrin