Sick days per year
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Sick days per year
Hi folks. Just wanted to get some input on how many sick days per year you would consider to be "normal". As we all know, we carry an extra responsibility because if we show up for work unfit we may get our licenses suspended or even worse put other people's lives at risk.
So therefore I would assume the average amount of sick days should naturally be higher than for other occupations.
What do you think...10 per year?
So therefore I would assume the average amount of sick days should naturally be higher than for other occupations.
What do you think...10 per year?
Join Date: Sep 2001
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I would consider none to be normal. Sickness is an 'abnormal' condition. Why should pilots have a higher than normal number of sick days than those in other occupations? In my view, it would be exactly the opposite - since pilots, with frequent medical examinations, have to attain higher medical standards then 'Joe public', I would expect them to have a lower than normal incidence of days lost due to sickness (unless they were compulsive slackers 
).
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None to be normal would be ideal.
But I guess pilots like other shift workers, with changing body clocks etc. may become more susceptible to illness than say a person working 9-5. I heard that working shifts puts more stress on the body than say a CEO of a top company would experience. But like you say, their standard of fitness (and presumably their immune systems) would be at least average, if not more so.
I think its a good thing if you can't remember the last time you had time off work due to being sick. But in my opinion it shows strength of character (not to mention legal obligation for you pilot chappies/esses) to call in sick if you need to. As long as you're not taking the michael, there should not be pressure to feel you must report for fear of reprisals.
Anyway just finished night shift, night night.
But I guess pilots like other shift workers, with changing body clocks etc. may become more susceptible to illness than say a person working 9-5. I heard that working shifts puts more stress on the body than say a CEO of a top company would experience. But like you say, their standard of fitness (and presumably their immune systems) would be at least average, if not more so.
I think its a good thing if you can't remember the last time you had time off work due to being sick. But in my opinion it shows strength of character (not to mention legal obligation for you pilot chappies/esses) to call in sick if you need to. As long as you're not taking the michael, there should not be pressure to feel you must report for fear of reprisals.
Anyway just finished night shift, night night.
Sickness is an abnormal condition on a day to day basis, but over an extended period of time it is normal to get ill every now and then.
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10 days per year!!! Unbelievable. Thats one a month. Its borderline theft. That might be the Joe Public sector average but certainly not the average if you work for yourself!
Mind you I particularly resent of the germ laden heros who snot their way into the office because they 'can't possibly take a day off'.
I remember working for a certain public sector org where everyone made sure they got their moneys worth out of ssp to the extent they had a secret sick rota so not too many people were away at once. They got found out when someone said
A. 'Wheres XXXX today .'
B. ' He's called in sick.'
A. ' What? But its not his turn to be sick.
Mind you I particularly resent of the germ laden heros who snot their way into the office because they 'can't possibly take a day off'.
I remember working for a certain public sector org where everyone made sure they got their moneys worth out of ssp to the extent they had a secret sick rota so not too many people were away at once. They got found out when someone said
A. 'Wheres XXXX today .'
B. ' He's called in sick.'
A. ' What? But its not his turn to be sick.
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Sick days
The company I work for allow me to take ,if needed, 20 days per year which accumulate if not used to a maximum of 60 days total after 3 years service. If not used , the balance will then stay at 60 days.
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Currently flying a desk and an IBM T42 Laptop, in the last two weeks I've had 4 nights where I've been breaking into cold sweats, 3 days/nights of solid headache, 4 days of runny/blocked nose and 2 days of chesty cough. Cold stopped at day 7/8, but had to fly on business the other day and it returned at some point in the climb to cruise. 8 of these days, I was at work (contracting so a good reason to work!). This happens to me once every couple of years and most docs have said it's quite normal, question is would an airline think it's normal?
