Can you get written up for being sick

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Jun 11, 2022
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So recently I have a cold. Did covid test at home but it was negative. So I called off for 2 days. I also communicated to my leaders everyday to update how I feel. He told me to rest because I can barely talk. I was coughing a lot that make my whole body sore. The next day was my day off, Thank God for that. I came back to work the day after. Fast forward to 2 weeks after. Today I got a workday conversation with my leader because I need a doctor's note for call out sick. So questions
1. How serious is a workday written up?
2. If you're sick and you have to make doctor appointment and no appointment available until after you're getting better and sort of ready to get back to work. Do you still need the note because it's so stupid at this point?
3. So from what I'm understanding from that conversation is just come to work when you're sick and no point of communicating to your leaders at all. Is that against the law?
 
All stores are not the same so this can be tricky. However as far as I know if you use sick hours it shouldn't count against you but that may depend on the state you live in.

A workday write-up without a face-to-face conversation is so CHEAP and unacceptable. Many years ago I had a TL who didn't like me who lied and said he had multiple conversations with me about something but never did and he tried to make me sign off on it and I did not. I would get with my ETL first and let them know nobody had a fair conversation with you explaining the disciplinary actions, but I don't know the official HR rules surrounding that so maybe they didn't do anything wrong but it's still cheap.

If you go to the doctor after you're sick, then sure, get all the proof you can get since now you know your store asks for it. Always keep those records put away because now you know it isn't "stupid" at that point because your employer asks for it.

Don't come to work sick. Use sick hours when you're sick. Keep communicating with your leaders. I don't think that's against the law. That's the best you can do and the rest is up to your employer. Make sure to keep a good relationship with your leaders because if you don't it's all the more reason for them to want to get rid of you without a care in the world. That's how it works in my store. We don't pick and choose at all, we let the team members decide. If they are not productive, bad attendance, then that's all the more reason for us to do anything we can to start the process of firing them.
 
If you have sick hours, you can't be held accountable for it. Otherwise, the only way to get out of it is for it to be so bad that you're bedridden. Like, multiple days in the hospital basically (but I'm sure that's not the official definition, you can probably be at home bedridden but it can't just be the flu [edit: not sure about covid]).

One conversation in workday is not a big deal. A corrective action (which you have to acknowledge in workday) is kind of a big deal, but you're still far from termination.
 
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If you were one of my fellow team members I’d say Do NOT come to work sick!! The last thing I need is for you to get me sick. It was my understanding that Target doesn’t take doctors notes except for Covid.
That’s not how it work it works. You can’t get sick simply by being near a sick people. Stop stigmatizing people for their disease.
 
Apparently you know nothing about contagious diseases. WTF are you talking about? I missed a few days in my tenure at Target and never got a note from anyone. I refused to get notes, what the fuck are we working at? An elementary school?
 
That’s not how it work it works. You can’t get sick simply by being near a sick people. Stop stigmatizing people for their disease.
Are you saying that if you and I work in close proximity of each other and your coughing, sneezing, and touching stuff I will touch there is 0% chance I will get sick. What medical school did you go to?
 
Take a look at the operating theater in the hospital when TJR's are performed. The ortho surgeons, attendants, nurses and anesthesiologists are fully covered with protective suits resembling space suits. Insanity to think otherwise.
 
Take a look at the operating theater in the hospital when TJR's are performed. The ortho surgeons, attendants, nurses and anesthesiologists are fully covered with protective suits resembling space suits. Insanity to think otherwise.
Right, they don’t want to smell the anesthesia farts. Patients who go under have uncontrollable flatulence condition (UFC).
Not mentioned UBM (Uncontrollable Bowel Movement). I might not have a law degree, but I have seen enough discovery channel documentaries to know what disease.
 
Are you saying that if you and I work in close proximity of each other and your coughing, sneezing, and touching stuff I will touch there is 0% chance I will get sick. What medical school did you go to?
I didn’t go to a medical school… do you shove food in your nostrils?
 
Yeah, just in case anyone missed high school biology. Once again sorry for the copy pasta. All information is sourced for CDC and Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The germ theory of disease states that many diseases are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or fungi.
These diseases are caused by the growth and replication of microorganisms. The germ theory of disease was devised by Louis Pasteur in the 1890s.
Germs can spread in many ways, including through direct contact with an infected person, or indirectly by touching contaminated objects or surfaces:
  • Direct contact
    Touching, kissing, hugging, or sharing utensils or cups with an infected person
  • Breathing
    Inhaling air after someone coughs or sneezes, which can release droplets containing germs that travel up to 6 feet
  • Touching contaminated objects
    Touching a doorknob, table, or other high-touch surface that has germs on it, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
Ways to avoid getting sick.
  • Wash your hands often, especially before and after preparing food, using the bathroom, or changing a diaper. Scrub your hands well for 20 seconds with soap and water, including your wrists, backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails. Rinse and dry with a clean towel or air dryer.
  • Keep a safe distance of 6 feet from people who are sick or if you can't wear a mask.
  • Cover your cough.
  • Don't share personal items.
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces with soap and water or a disinfectant wipe. You can also wipe down items packaged in cardboard, plastic, or metal containers before use.
I know just about all of you know this stuff but it seems like it is a good idea to bring it up for the one or two who might not.
 
@Meme Were these your only call outs in the last 6 months? If your attendance was bad or questionable, the fact that THIS TIME you may have legitimately sick might not give you a free pass.
Just this time and 1 day 2 months ago for food poisoning. My etl said he's sorry that his direction was to do this to his tms and other etls has to do so on our store. I don't call suck often. Right now i have 128 hours of sick day since I'm with company for 8 years. My etl said this is just a warning to all tms who call off because average we have 7 daily and 13-20 on weekend and he's sorry that I got caught in the middle. But this is my first workday conversation so I'm mad and concern at the same time
 
Just this time and 1 day 2 months ago for food poisoning. My etl said he's sorry that his direction was to do this to his tms and other etls has to do so on our store. I don't call suck often. Right now i have 128 hours of sick day since I'm with company for 8 years. My etl said this is just a warning to all tms who call off because average we have 7 daily and 13-20 on weekend and he's sorry that I got caught in the middle. But this is my first workday conversation so I'm mad and concern at the same time
This stinks - some TMs are abusing calling off, so a TM who is actually sick gets caught in the cross-fire.
That said, I wonder if this will be happening at my store. There are some TMs who call off so frequently that I wonder how they keep their jobs. (I wondered for a while how they could pay their bills, but I'm told they still live with their parents. No paying rent, for groceries, their cell phones are on their parents' plans.) When I come in at 6 a.m. and there are lots of carts in the parking lot and lots of reshop both behind Guest Service and on the floor, I always wonder if it was an exceptionally busy night or there were lots of call-offs. Usually, it's the latter.
 
Latter. I saw it at 4am. I liked to gather carts, got me away from the mediocrity and bullshit at least for awhile. I had to take a week off for a med procedure recovery and two regular sick call offs in 7 years. Nobody ever gave me any shit.
 
Just this time and 1 day 2 months ago for food poisoning. My etl said he's sorry that his direction was to do this to his tms and other etls has to do so on our store. I don't call suck often. Right now i have 128 hours of sick day since I'm with company for 8 years. My etl said this is just a warning to all tms who call off because average we have 7 daily and 13-20 on weekend and he's sorry that I got caught in the middle. But this is my first workday conversation so I'm mad and concern at the same time
Sick Pay is excusable, that's Target policy. They can ask and make sure you're doing ok, but the convo should not be entered into Workday if you used Sick Pay to cover the shift.

If it was a documented Workday conversation, and you used the full amount of sick pay to cover the shift, I'd be asking HR some questions.
 
Just this time and 1 day 2 months ago for food poisoning. My etl said he's sorry that his direction was to do this to his tms and other etls has to do so on our store. I don't call suck often. Right now i have 128 hours of sick day since I'm with company for 8 years. My etl said this is just a warning to all tms who call off because average we have 7 daily and 13-20 on weekend and he's sorry that I got caught in the middle. But this is my first workday conversation so I'm mad and concern at the same time
Sounds to me like your store is trying to performance someone out for attendance and is documenting conversations with everyone who calls off so they have that all important paper trail proving “but we do this to everyone who calls off” to cover their butts. 🙁 Shouldn’t be doing that for those who used sick pay to cover their absence.
 
Yeah, just in case anyone missed high school biology. Once again sorry for the copy pasta. All information is sourced for CDC and Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The germ theory of disease states that many diseases are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, or fungi.
These diseases are caused by the growth and replication of microorganisms. The germ theory of disease was devised by Louis Pasteur in the 1890s.
Germs can spread in many ways, including through direct contact with an infected person, or indirectly by touching contaminated objects or surfaces:
  • Direct contact
    Touching, kissing, hugging, or sharing utensils or cups with an infected person
  • Breathing
    Inhaling air after someone coughs or sneezes, which can release droplets containing germs that travel up to 6 feet
  • Touching contaminated objects
    Touching a doorknob, table, or other high-touch surface that has germs on it, and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
Ways to avoid getting sick.
  • Wash your hands often, especially before and after preparing food, using the bathroom, or changing a diaper. Scrub your hands well for 20 seconds with soap and water, including your wrists, backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails. Rinse and dry with a clean towel or air dryer.
  • Keep a safe distance of 6 feet from people who are sick or if you can't wear a mask.
  • Cover your cough.
  • Don't share personal items.
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces with soap and water or a disinfectant wipe. You can also wipe down items packaged in cardboard, plastic, or metal containers before use.
I know just about all of you know this stuff but it seems like it is a good idea to bring it up for the one or two who might not.
Is this the same CDC that told us that masks prevent the spread of Covid?
 

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