When Team Work Isn’t – Being Out Sick and Getting Called
Everyone should be entitled to be sick. At least that's the philosophy we created at the company I started. We didn't even put a limit on it because we figured that if you were sick, then there was a reason you were sick, and you'd get back to work as soon as you could, and pick up where you left off.
Well, that was a little optimistic, I realize now, but that's not because it's a bad idea, it's because it's a good idea, and we had bad people taking advantage of it. We just needed to be a little better at the hiring process. That was where we fell down.
But here, I'm in a big company. With paid sick time. And I use very little of it. But this past week I was out because of my herniated disc, and I simply could not stand up. But I got called - three days out of four. Some were understandable, but some were quasi-understandable with a hint of "Hey, now that you're online, can you have a look at these specs, and let us know what you think?"
Thankfully, a few of the guys asked by my Boss to call me on such pretenses tried to abstain. Once emailed me and asked if it would be OK, and the other asked, but said he felt bad about it. I can understand it. You gotta do what the Boss says. But at some point, and I think last week was that point, you cross the line and are asking a sick person to do work. That's plain wrong on so many levels.
So I talked to my manager and told him my feelings. I thought it was over the line, and planned to tell my Boss today. He agreed that asking is OK, but assuming is wrong, and he knows our Boss well enough to know that it's never going to change for him. I still told him, and reiterated my feelings that I wanted off this project that he's got me on. He said that was impossible - he had been told make it work or you're out. And given those choices, I can see why he's going to put his best people on it - even if it burns them out.
Desperation at so many levels... it's not about the Team anymore. I've got to remember that.