I’ve got PTO and my job is forcing me back to the office so basically if a strong wind blows I’m calling in sick. I’m tired of sacrificing my happiness for others

I have pto so basically for whatever reason. Surgery? Flu? Passed gas too hard and my bum hurts? Calling in.

Am I contagious, or showing symptoms of something contagious? Stay home.

Am I incapable of doing my job or driving to work? Stay home.

Otherwise? Suck it up.

If you’re not feeling 100%, take a day.

Variables being: do you like your job?

Is your employer a fair employer?

Will the business crumble if you’re not there? I mean, if it does, that’s a company problem, not a you problem.

You should be working to live, not the other way around.

If I have enough PTO saved up, I’ll take “mental health days”. It’s none of the employers business why you take it if they offer PTO accrual as a benefit. I just email my lead either the night before or in the morning saying “I’ll be out today”. Period. No more and no less. No excuses. No rational. I earned it; it’s mine; I’m using it, that’s it.

So I don’t have to be so sick that I can’t get out of bed. Or a fever. If I’m feeling under the weather and I have the time, I’ll take it. I do that instead of taking a solid 2 week vacation at one time during the year.

I have to weigh the amount of sick days I got left vs how shit I feel. My old job gave out a crap ton of sick days so I’d use them for hangovers, or days when I’ve run out of fucks to give.
Now, not so much. Got to be on deaths door.

By consulting my bank account and looming bills about whether or not I can afford to lose day(s) of pay

Send help

I think this is super dependant on the systems in place where you live. Here in Germany, the reasoning should be “if I stay home now and recover, will this be more beneficial to me and the employer because my condition will worsen or not get better if I go?” If the answer is yes, you should stay home

If I’m concerned about safely making the drive in to work (20 minutes), I do not leave the house.

If I think about whether I should call in sick or not, I call in sick. No benefit in going to work sick or even just a bit under the weather. But I’m not in the US and I get (almost) unlimited PTO for sick leave.

Is it something you can pass to others and/or do you feel not OK enough to actually work? Don’t go

If I’m sick.

That’s it.

If it’s very mild then whatever but I’m not going to work if I feel like absolute shit.

If you’re thinking about it, then just do it, tbh. Listen to your body.

I call it in, but I live in the Netherlands so our laws care for our wellbeing (at least in this respect)

I am one of the few fortunate Americans who has sick leave separate from vacation leave. I have been wfh since early Covid so not calling in sick much at all.

I am also trying to get to 400 sick leave hours banked to supplement short term disability just in case.

Harder to justify calling in sick when wfh, honestly. And I’ve not been very sick. I have really no qualms about calling in if I really need a mental health day. Seems like wfh also lessens my need for mental health days…a benefit I did not really realize until just now.

I would say if you feel sick call in.

Personally I called in even with a headache or when I wasn’t in the right headspace to work properly. Take care of yourself first.

Depending on how your company handles things of course.