Can you be canned for being sick?

[VectraMan]

To answer the original question, it doesn't seem likely that you'd be canned for lack of output because of missing 4 days in 2 weeks, especially in the middle of winter cold and noro-virus season. It seems far more likely they were concerned about lack of output beforehand.

They say that if you really have flu you can't get out of bed, so I figure if I can make it as far as the car and I'm not constantly fighting the urge to vomit on my keyboard, I'm probably okay to work. I did have a day off sick recently due to the second reason.

[Chugnut]

Some tulip posted here about being ill. Depends what it is, how far you're travelling and what the client is like.

I've had to take time off due to illness on a fair few contracts (last period was only about 2 months ago) but never ever had a client 'have a word' about absence. In fact one or two have thanked me for not coming in and spreading the illness about.

I can only assume some folk unfortunately are working for tulip clients or they are money grabbers.

WHS, rubbish clients and fagin contractors by the sounds of it.

[jim2406]

Over the course of a 20 month contract I had 3 operations each of which involved being offsite for weeks at a time and working from home.

I fitted these around client workload and they were OK about it as the rest of the time I'd worked well and they were happy.

Sounds like there's something else going on IMO, or the client are just a**eholes..

as for various people saying 'go to work unless youre dying'... if you need the money fair enough - but as a previous poster said, isn't one of the points of contracting to get out of the 9-5 slave-to-work thing? if i'm feeling rubbish, as long as I can afford a day off, I'd rather have a lie in and watch daytime TV!

[d000hg]

They say that if you really have flu you can't get out of bed, so I figure if I can make it as far as the car and I'm not constantly fighting the urge to vomit on my keyboard, I'm probably okay to work

The problem I have with the "if you can walk you can work" school of thought is that software development is a very thought-intensive job, you need focus and a clear head. Often, you can be physically able to walk about but your brain just doesn't work. If you are on some monkey-coding DB web app that's fine but I would only normally work on projects that are challenging when my brain is working - to charge for time I am not able to provide the service I'm paid for seems unprofessional. If I hired a plasterer and he came and cocked up the work because he was ill I wouldn't WANT him there.

[DimPrawn]

I usually call the PM or whoever signs your timesheets and say

"I'm very unwell. I suspect it is infectious. I know the project is relying on my services, so I am willing to come in, but the likelyhood is I will be a long way from 100% efficiency and it risks putting the other people there of catching it. Or I can rest up at home and your project budget looks that little bit better for it. What do you prefer?"

Always tell them you are ill the day before or very early that same morning (send a txt and email, leave a voicemail).

This seems the most sensible and professional way to handle it IMHO.

[lukemg]

One morning I gashed my leg after falling on a glass bedside lamp. It didn't hurt much but was badly cut. I bandaged it up and went in, the blood soaked through the bandage and I had to replace it 3 times. Stitches would probably have been a good idea but I didn't want the gap on my timesheet. Reckless and not sure I would do that these days, mind you only injury is splinters from the bench at the moment.

[tim123]

Yes, they can.

It's just happened to me because I was off sick.

There's very little you can do, if anything, apart from to sit back, put your feet up, enjoy Christmas and look for a new gig.

And I'm sure that they would have much preferred you to turn up, infect all the perms and then have them each take a week off.

Morons!

Sorry to hear of your bad luck

tim

[Paddy]

All,

I was off last week for 2 days and this week for 2 days, I sent a mail to my manager explaining that I had what was probably the worst case of flu for the last 4-5 years.

Came into work yesterday, and client is thinking of canning me for lack of output (my project is on hold till 6/1/09) and they are aware of the reasons why, and because they are worried aboout my excessive sick leave?

Eh?

Can they do this?

I don’t have sympathy for people having flu because it is avoidable with a £10 anti-flu jab. All contractors should get one.

[Beefy198]

Working your way through sickness is one of the problems of this country.

Take a day off and rest and you're likely to feel better in half the time.

[blacjac]

I don’t have sympathy for people having flu because it is avoidable with a £10 anti-flu jab. All contractors should get one.

No it isn't.

A Flu jab will only protect agianst the particular strains of flu that the government think will be most prevelant that year.....