I'm not going to lie, relative to today's work environment and being in a union, our works sick policy is probably much more leniant than other companies. They offer up to 9 occurrences (being late to work, being sick, other offenses) before termination. It's not perfect but I'm never late, so essentially it's 9 sick days a year.
I have a newborn that has been sick, and it has also been a sickly year for me, and I am at six occurrences. Not awful, but I don't want to go any further down the hole.
Today, I was sick. It was a weird sick. I had to stop driving a couple times assuming I was going to vomit, but instead got over it and was in a dream like state.
I got to my first account about 30 minutes early (430 am) and decided to rest instead of going straight in, as 5am is our official start time. For the first time in five years, today I asked our official “helpers” for help. It's a busy time of year for us and I wasn't expecting it, but thought it couldn't hurt to ask.
It did hurt. I called all of them, only one answered and couldn't help, fair play to that person as they genuinely would have if available. I then called my supervisor. Again I've never done this but know it's an issue they often help with if someone isnt feeling well. I asked if anyone would be able to help on a pretty busy work day for me physically, and it was a no. Oh well, it was worth a shot. I'll get through it but it will be tough.
But then he said “You know we could use your help elsewhere. I'm going to have you go to these other two accounts” I'm non confrontational and said “…ok”. Instead of it being a normally 8 hour physically intensive work day, it was a 13 hour physically intensive work day on the first day I've ever asked for a little bit of relief, and they are just as adament at staying under 40 hours for a 5 day work week.
Them asking for help in locations I'm not scheduled is very rare, but not unheard of.
If confronted to our union, he technically didn't do anything wrong. They can ask us for help elsewhere, and almost any other time it would be fine. However I contacted him (I only do usually once every month or two for random reasons) to ask for help, and I felt like it was a punishment for simply asking.
I was pretty upset all day and didn't do as good a job as normal knowing I would be working from 5am to 6pm and also not in physical shape to do so being sick and then be chastised for going over 40 hours this week, but also sacrificing quality work I could also get in trouble for (nothing serious in the grand scheme. I didnt do a bad job, but it wasnt to my or the company's personal quality).
It's been a huge stressor all day and I guess I just need to vent.