I’m so sick of feeling guilty for taking days off. My husband tested positive for Covid on Sunday, I went to work on Monday. By Monday afternoon I started feeling run down. I still haven’t tested positive but I feel like garbage. Our deputy put a post on our staff Facebook page basically saying too many staff were off, so if you’re not feeling too bad, suck it up and come in (not verbatim but the essence of the message). I already had a Telehealth with my doctor on Tuesday afternoon so I told her what my deputy had said and my dr said ‘I’ll give you the rest of the week off then’. I realise they will be quick to replace me if I leave so I’m not going to stress about taking sick days I’m entitled to
I used to feel guilty, then a very wise and respectful colleague once told me : if you die tomorrow, they will replace as soon as possible, so your life should be worth more to you than them.
To this day, I don't feel guilty. If I'm sick, my HOLA will work out where I am up to via my diary ( I have given them permission and they know where I keep it on my desk). If it is planned ( appointments and such), I will alter my lesson plans to accommodate.
I also took today off. I only work 3 days a week, and my kid is in daycare, so I have the house to myself and it is as good as I imagined it would be.
You don't get paid out your sick leave. You work in a very demanding role. You are allowed to just take a day, get youself subway and doughnuts and sit on the couch watching trash tv... I know thats not what *you're* doing today, but its what I am!
There was a time I felt guilty about it, but this is my 10th year in the field and I've come to learn that we ALL need to take breaks. If I up and quit, the school would continue, the kids would still learn, I - personally - am not required to be there for it all to function. You take time when you need it so you can show up and be present and engaged for the vast majority of the time.
Enjoy your day!
Stopped feeling guilty a few years ago after emergency hospitalisation, which was quite scary, and needed to take a few weeks off work. Only a couple of colleagues reached out, and when I came back, very few people seemed to register or care that I'd been absent. The school had kept on going. I will never feel guilty for taking sick leave again.
I don't feel guilty. I know it's a common thing with teachers but it's not something I've ever related to.
This is how I look at it. You have to take care of yourself. You have a life outside of school and sometimes, you need to be somewhere else. The library will not fall down in a heap because you take two days off in a week. It will be fine and you will be fine.
I got sick last year, kept sending plans and saying I'd be back in the next day. Got back to school, still unwell, ended up with a viral infection, then got whooping cough and didn't finish the year. What started with being run down turned into 3 months off work and a shit Christmas. Fast forward to week 5 this year, and 3 out of 4 of our year level teaching team have got covid.
Please, no guilt. We are all doing our best and need to be well to be at work. Take care.
Library assistant? Shouldn't be an issue. If you need a certificate, pharmacy can give one for up to 2 days.There are also Apps that let you speak to a Doctor over the phone to get prescription or certificates.
Please don’t feel guilty. You are taking time off to sort out issues with your own health. Time now reduces (hopefully) time taken later. You should be able to get a cert for anything medical related, I would have thought.
I used to feel guilty taking time off at my old work. And I dreaded calling in sick, and I felt guilty and agonised over taking sick leave.
But then I changed jobs and no one made a big deal and encouraged people to take time off when you needed it because we were all humans and my prin would say "you're no good to anyone if you're sick or dead". And then I realised that the only reason I felt bad about it at my old work is because it was a toxic place to work. And the undertones, even if on the surface they said "yes take it off if you are sick", were to make me feel bad with the intent of having me take less days off. Many toxic workplaces make good people feel bad about self care or doing anything for themselves.
Don't feel bad. Maybe check your reasons for feeling bad as well. And then tell yourself, whatever they are, that they don't matter. You have sick leave to use it.
I have food poisoning. 30 hours and I'm just now managing to nibble on a dry biscuit.
My partner - also a teacher needed to sit me down and explain to me that going in to work tomorrow was a bad idea - that I was allowed to look after myself and that the school will continue to turn without you.
It's hard - and the guilt is real. But try to be kind to yourself where you can.
You get 14 days a year in NSW they accumulate, but you don't get any reward at the end of your career for not using them. I encourage staff to have 1 mental health day a term and use the rest as needed. If you go to work, sick and mess up you cannot use the excuse of "I wasn't 100%" as by walking in the door your saying your fit for duty.
Leave appropriate work, if it's planned and ahead of time inform all appropriate staff at school, I even notify my classes.
Do those things and it's guilt free!
This isn’t meant as a mean post in any way.
You are not as important or needed as much as you think you are. I know this job can have people pouring their heart and soul into it, but end of the day, if you left… you’d be replaced in a second.
That’s what helps me take days off when I need them for me or my family. That’s more important than a job.
I also think about how much I remember from school. Missing a day or a few over a term, what difference is going to make to your students? None.
CRTs depend upon permanent staff taking days off. Please, take your days off!
If you're sick, stay home.
If you need to take care of yourself, do it. The world will continue to spin in your absence. Better to be alive and taking a day off than dead without taking leave.
People have literally died for our rights to sick leave. Don’t add to it.
I’m so sick of feeling guilty for taking days off. My husband tested positive for Covid on Sunday, I went to work on Monday. By Monday afternoon I started feeling run down. I still haven’t tested positive but I feel like garbage. Our deputy put a post on our staff Facebook page basically saying too many staff were off, so if you’re not feeling too bad, suck it up and come in (not verbatim but the essence of the message). I already had a Telehealth with my doctor on Tuesday afternoon so I told her what my deputy had said and my dr said ‘I’ll give you the rest of the week off then’. I realise they will be quick to replace me if I leave so I’m not going to stress about taking sick days I’m entitled to
Staff Facebook page? Yuck. No thanks
Agreed. I threw up in my mouth a little reading that!
Screen shot the Facebook message and send it to the union and your work health and safety officer, because that's promoting the spread of disease.
I used to feel guilty, then a very wise and respectful colleague once told me : if you die tomorrow, they will replace as soon as possible, so your life should be worth more to you than them. To this day, I don't feel guilty. If I'm sick, my HOLA will work out where I am up to via my diary ( I have given them permission and they know where I keep it on my desk). If it is planned ( appointments and such), I will alter my lesson plans to accommodate.
I also took today off. I only work 3 days a week, and my kid is in daycare, so I have the house to myself and it is as good as I imagined it would be. You don't get paid out your sick leave. You work in a very demanding role. You are allowed to just take a day, get youself subway and doughnuts and sit on the couch watching trash tv... I know thats not what *you're* doing today, but its what I am! There was a time I felt guilty about it, but this is my 10th year in the field and I've come to learn that we ALL need to take breaks. If I up and quit, the school would continue, the kids would still learn, I - personally - am not required to be there for it all to function. You take time when you need it so you can show up and be present and engaged for the vast majority of the time. Enjoy your day!
Guilty about what? We are humans who do a job and occasionally we get sick or need time to live our actual lives. We're not martyrs.
This should be higher.
Stopped feeling guilty a few years ago after emergency hospitalisation, which was quite scary, and needed to take a few weeks off work. Only a couple of colleagues reached out, and when I came back, very few people seemed to register or care that I'd been absent. The school had kept on going. I will never feel guilty for taking sick leave again.
I'm taking tomorrow off so I'm not too tired to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday over the weekend. Fuck 'em.
I don't feel guilty. I know it's a common thing with teachers but it's not something I've ever related to. This is how I look at it. You have to take care of yourself. You have a life outside of school and sometimes, you need to be somewhere else. The library will not fall down in a heap because you take two days off in a week. It will be fine and you will be fine.
I literally just took 3 days off. I mean, doctors orders. I don't want to make other people sick because I've spread my germs in the office
I got sick last year, kept sending plans and saying I'd be back in the next day. Got back to school, still unwell, ended up with a viral infection, then got whooping cough and didn't finish the year. What started with being run down turned into 3 months off work and a shit Christmas. Fast forward to week 5 this year, and 3 out of 4 of our year level teaching team have got covid. Please, no guilt. We are all doing our best and need to be well to be at work. Take care.
You're entitled to use the sick leave given to you. I'd rather see a happy, well-rested teacher who's occasionally absent than a grumpy, tired one.
Oh my gosh. Take a day off and do your thing. Life is too short.
Library assistant? Shouldn't be an issue. If you need a certificate, pharmacy can give one for up to 2 days.There are also Apps that let you speak to a Doctor over the phone to get prescription or certificates.
At the end of the day we're no different to any other industry, what we do is a job.
Please don’t feel guilty. You are taking time off to sort out issues with your own health. Time now reduces (hopefully) time taken later. You should be able to get a cert for anything medical related, I would have thought.
I used to feel guilty taking time off at my old work. And I dreaded calling in sick, and I felt guilty and agonised over taking sick leave. But then I changed jobs and no one made a big deal and encouraged people to take time off when you needed it because we were all humans and my prin would say "you're no good to anyone if you're sick or dead". And then I realised that the only reason I felt bad about it at my old work is because it was a toxic place to work. And the undertones, even if on the surface they said "yes take it off if you are sick", were to make me feel bad with the intent of having me take less days off. Many toxic workplaces make good people feel bad about self care or doing anything for themselves. Don't feel bad. Maybe check your reasons for feeling bad as well. And then tell yourself, whatever they are, that they don't matter. You have sick leave to use it.
Let me introduce you to a game changer for MCs - hola.health Thank me later.
Ew
Why can’t you get a certificate of attendance from the path lab?
I have food poisoning. 30 hours and I'm just now managing to nibble on a dry biscuit. My partner - also a teacher needed to sit me down and explain to me that going in to work tomorrow was a bad idea - that I was allowed to look after myself and that the school will continue to turn without you. It's hard - and the guilt is real. But try to be kind to yourself where you can.
You get 14 days a year in NSW they accumulate, but you don't get any reward at the end of your career for not using them. I encourage staff to have 1 mental health day a term and use the rest as needed. If you go to work, sick and mess up you cannot use the excuse of "I wasn't 100%" as by walking in the door your saying your fit for duty. Leave appropriate work, if it's planned and ahead of time inform all appropriate staff at school, I even notify my classes. Do those things and it's guilt free!
This isn’t meant as a mean post in any way. You are not as important or needed as much as you think you are. I know this job can have people pouring their heart and soul into it, but end of the day, if you left… you’d be replaced in a second. That’s what helps me take days off when I need them for me or my family. That’s more important than a job. I also think about how much I remember from school. Missing a day or a few over a term, what difference is going to make to your students? None.
CRTs depend upon permanent staff taking days off. Please, take your days off! If you're sick, stay home. If you need to take care of yourself, do it. The world will continue to spin in your absence. Better to be alive and taking a day off than dead without taking leave.
Fact is most people won’t even notice you’re not there so don’t beat yourself up. Look after you.