Fast (and slow) food service workers usually can't take off, so they go to work when ill. Want to guess how many sneeze on the food, the plates or even on the customers?

Why do so many of "us" think it's ok for these individuals to not have health care insurance opportunities, paid sick days or days w/o compensation but w/job rentention, if "we're" the ones getting sneezed on?

When it's about "them", is it not important? When it's about "us", is it important?

So how much is food service worth to us? This includes the grocery store, the bar, the school cafteria for our children (who bring "it" home) and any other place where we might "eat" (or breathe).

I can work from home... but by the time I feel the crud coming on, I've been contagious for days. So I stay home for me... nobody else. When I get better, I come back to work.

Any time I get sick I got it at work so that's where I leave it just keep working

Your right it is not fair and if sick you really cant work that well. But losing your job is a lot more of a risk so I have to take the chance.

It isn't fair to your fellow workers if you come in sick. They don't want it and anyway by the time it goes around the office, you can get it again!!

My boss gives me a hard time when I come to work sick, but if I call in sick I get treated like a POS liar when I return to work. We have sick time too. Crazy!

I agree with you, as my past employers and this one get very upset when you call in, I have been lucky in the last 20 years I had to only call in 11 times for being sick. Again I am lucky but with all the bugs going around I am not sure how long I will be lucky as I am getting older.

those of us who stay home when LEGITAMETLY are sick get slammed by the employers (and yes I take a doctors note, cuz if im sick enough to miss work, im sick enough to see a doc) we are the people who get written up for not coming in, YET, the habitual people calling in with no excuse at least once a month dont even get a slap on the wrist....my question is.....
HOW ARE EMPLOYERS GOING TO BE WHEN AN EMPLOYEE GETS H1N1 AND CALLS IN? Something needs to be passed saying if you have a doctors note confirming this, IT NEEDS TO BE EXCUSED....how many agree with me

I won't go to work whether I am healthy or sick. Thanks for asking.

I was "fortunate" enough to have the flu during a layoff. It sucked that I was laid off but I didn't incur missed days at work. I had that godforsaken flu for two weeks and I wouldn't have even tried to "work through it". I think it's disgusting when people come to work sick.
I'm a regular hand washer and I use sanitizer but when co workers come to work hacking and coughing and sneezing and vomiting it makes it difficult to avoid illness. I know not everyone has definite child care or enough money to have the "luxury" of sick days... but come on people... if you're running a fever, vomiting or have the trots... STAY HOME. Your frequent runs to the bathroom, sluggish movements and impaired judgment from medication affects your co-workers and work environment more than you think.

It's hard to stay home when you are if you work in the health field because of staffing shortages these days. I work in the healthcare field and yes I have come in contact with many patients who have tested positive to the H1N1 virus, but I follow standard precautions, and so should everyone else. I know it's hard to take off work when your sick, trust me I know, but going to work with an illness whether it's the common cold or the flu, can infect everyone around you and that's how these pandemics happen and can lead to death, just as the H1N1 virus has. I'm not saying that just because you wash your hands, stay in, and drink plenty of fluids, you won't be exposed to an illness and get sick, but what you do is helping stop the spread of it.

I'm lucky enough to have sick days, but hesitate to use them because of staff cuts. My husband has never had sick days. So he either has to burn a vacation day or be unpaid for that day. In this economy, who can afford to take unpaid days off.

There is only one answer that works: Only get sick on your days off.

hmmmm get sick? either sit home & get fired, or go to work & disrupt production. but still have a job. seems pretty easy decision to me.

death to a loved one that is.

Quote - "Another human over-reaction in full swing! I can understand though. Look at all those deaths in the Country from H1N1." - Quote.
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Ah yes, the classic ignorance "it wont happen to me" mentality. I suppose it would take a death to make it serious? or perhaps we become educated and prevent any deaths. Uneducated mentalitys like yours are what scare me more than H1N1

lostcity.. thanks.. I needed a good laugh today.. "Obama is behind this in order to push health care reform.".. Now thats funny. rofl

Another human over-reaction in full swing! I can understand though. Look at all those deaths in the Country from H1N1.

Wash your hands once in a while if your paranoid about it. Don't kiss strangers, or let them get too close.. don't want them to breathe on ya. Or better yet... ever see that movie from the 70's or 80's called (i believe), "Boy in the bubble".. they make those for anybody now. Go buy one.

do you say that because jobs are so plentiful in this area?
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Oh wait, that's right there are very few companies hiring right now and more people looking for jobs that jobs to be had. Thank you Obama!

As usual, we stay home when we are sick enough to be bed ridden, or the Doctor orders it. It is the idiots out there who come to work sick to be "tough" who put us all at risk, again and again. Fear being fired, for staying home sick? Get a different job.

I heard Obama is behind this in order to push health care reform.

i will continue to go to work, because in my occupation, i do not have people or staffing to cover me even on vacation times. I have to schedule vacations around needs at work in order to take time off, otherwise i am basically on call 24, 7.
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Also in light of today's economy i am very appreciative for a job and a good job at that, and do not want to give any reason for my employer to consider looking for others to come in even to cover me. Call it the Brett Favre Syndrome.

Uh, "peck", I think the 50 million people who died in the 1918 flu pandemic might be grounds for disagreement of your comment and apparent line of thought.

Swine flu is a myth.

justsayno- you can get fired for not coming to work enough. Sure they cannot say we fired you for BEING sick but they can let you go because of POOR attendance. When there is poor attendance it isnt productive. They dont need any reason to fire you. they can say we are letting you go and if you ask why they dont need to say a word. If no reason given you bets on collecting uc is good at least.

In Wisconsin, you can be fired/let go without cause by your employer at any time, other than for race, sex, age, handicap. Working as a Union member protects a worker from that to an extent, but it still happens.

justsayno, they may not be able to use the excuse of firing you for being sick, but it happens. Where I work I could be fired for that or less depends on his mood. I will stay home and hopefully not get fired. But here yes I have seen people fired for being sick.

your job can not make you come to work sick. It is against the law to do so or to fire you for being sick.

I will stay home if staffing allows. Staff cuts have made it difficult for me to be absent.