What Would You Do? Needing a Sick Day With No PTO in Idaho

What would you do? What would you do if you got the flu, COVID, or one of the many illnesses floating around Idaho, but didn't have any paid time off from work? Do you accept the consequences and miss out on pay, or stay home? Do you try to be tough and suffer through it and go to work anyway? Do you ask for an advance in time off and then not take days later in the year while you accumulate it? If you start a new job, do you take off that soon, or try to muster through it and risk giving it to all your new coworkers? Many illnesses are going around these days, but what would you do if you couldn't get a paid day off?

Being Sick in Idaho

Many illnesses are making the rounds in Idaho. Everyone seems to be catching something these days. It can be a cold, the flu, strep throat, or several other diseases. For some companies, when a year ends, employees lose their time off and have to accumulate it throughout the year. This is a problem when employees are getting sick during the Idaho winters, and they should stay home and rest to get better, to not spread it to coworkers, and to stop the spread of it throughout town. Some employees need the money and are dedicated to their work; they will come in and put their job before their health and before that of others. Then some will milk it and want to be in bed for days, sleeping, and not having to go to work. Which one do you lean towards?

Paid Time Off in Idaho

Many companies separate sick time and paid time off, and there are some that have their time off roll over to use whenever an employee desires. Then there are companies that sick and paid time off are the same category, and if you don't use time off by the end of the year, then you lose it and have to start the new year with none, and work to build it back up throughout the year. The problem with the second type of companies is that January is often a month when many are sick from the wind, the snow, and the cold temperatures. Plus, there is travel from the holidays, school, daycare, work, and many people interacting. It can put employees in a tough spot when it comes to potentially sacrificing a day of pay, even though it is best for the workplace if they don't come in. Should employees have to choose, or should there be an easier way for them to take time off without stressing or coming in and spreading their illness with other employees? 

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One day may not be too bad to bounce back from, but for some, each hour, each day, and each week matters and is needed to pay the bills. If you were forced to decide between staying home sick and missing out on a payday, or coming in and being miserable and spreading what you have with everyone, what would you do?