Getting Used to a New Work Culture

I am a product of my raising. Growing up, my parents went to work with health issues, including my dad coordinating his radiation treatments for cancer on his day off from work each week. So, I saw two people who would work when they were not 100%.

It was probably good preparation for a retail management career. In retail, the show must go one, meaning that even with sick days, you really didn't call out. I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I called out in six years with Disney. (and we got 5 sick days a year).

So, that's the mindset I have. Yeah, I have a cold, but I am able to work. Which means I went to work this morning. And when my cube mate came in, she seemed a little annoyed when I told her I had a cold. I wondered if I was wrong for coming in, because I was definitely being productive.

This cold is the nose as a faucet type-I've coughed maybe 4 times all day. I'm sneezing here and there, but I was keeping to myself. I messaged the boss-'what is the expected procedure, because I feel fine, but I appear to have upset cube mate?' Her response was that we work in a small office, stay home.

Which is such a culture shift for me. I'm capable of doing work, it's just an inconvenience. I came home early, did some more of my research for an hour, then took a nap. The plan is to work from home tomorrow, since I still have the sniffles. Now, that's something I couldn't do before!

The plus side? I don't have to set my alarm for 6am. I can sleep in until 7 to get the kids up...

Comments

JW said…
I am the same way. If I get sick but can still function then I come into work. I only don't go to work if I can't function. Ironically, being that I work in an office setting now and see many people pass through you'd think I would get more sick then when I worked on the production floor. I have only been sick once in the last 5 years and I got that on my long weekend off while others around me GET SICK and are OCD about being clean. How does a person explain such a thing?

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