Sick Happens

I am currently on antibiotics, recovering from a severe sinus infection/viral attack (they all seem severe to me) that sidelined me from work for Tuesday and Wednesday. I am fortunate to work in a place that provides cumulative sick leave throughout one's career (a benefit won through collective bargaining between my union and management). And I've been accruing it since I began working here in 1987. I've also used it very sparingly, and probably have one of the highest accrued totals of sick leave hours among those working there as long as I have. As management often correctly points out, my cumulative sick leave serves as a kind of insurance policy against more long-term sicknesses or disabilities. And so I only use it strictly for times (like this) in which I am truly incapacitated for work (and likely to infect others as well). And that usually means that when I am ill enough (in my estimation) to call in sick, that also means that I should see a doctor for it. And I did, getting my prescription as well as a doctor's note confirming the illness for my bosses at work. But here's where I diverge from management regarding sick leave. Even though I obviously use my sick leave sparingly and was also obviously sick this time (with documentation), I am bound to be taken aside by someone in management a few days or weeks from now and be lectured to about using my sick leave wisely (most likely by someone who calls in sick more often than me). And I suppose that, when that happens (as it has in the past), I will ask to speak to my union steward! I understand that there are co-workers who might abuse the sick leave benefit, calling in just to get time off. So management is within their rights to try to curb excesses in this area. But there is a big difference between being strict about sick leave usage and being unreasonable. That being said, I am glad to be able to have sick leave to use (wisely and sparingly). But then again, that's one of the reasons I chose to work where I do in the first place (which is a pretty good job)!