I always like these messages we get from government officials during disaster times. If you don't have to go to work, then don't go. That's the latest we're hearing from everybody about the swine flu. If you feel ill, don't be a hero, stay home.
Well, I'm unemployed now, so I don't have an option, but...
That's not how the real world works. It's okay for people with salaried jobs to take a sick day. Even people who work for hourly wages can take a sick day or two, but there comes a time when an employer is simply not going to pay someone for following government advice and staying home. For instance, at the place I used to work, there was a problem last August when a tropical storm came in north of Houston. Depending on the time in the day when a person called in to the switchboard, that person heard one of three messages: don't come in; exercise your own discretion; or the office is open, please report to work.
Those who followed one of the first two messages and didn't come into work were forced by the New York office to use a sick day or a holiday, or if they had none of those left, were docked a day's pay. And I'm sure most businesses are like that. So after awhile, businesses will dock the pay of those who don't come in.
Which means that some people will have trouble paying bills. And when it comes to that, saying that they were just following orders and not coming into work isn't going to matter. Because these people want their money no matter what. So unless the government tells the utilities, credit cards, etc., to lay off people for a couple of weeks during this thing, then most people are still going to go into work sick. Not because they're playing hero. But because they don't have any choice.
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