I absolutely HATE that it is embedded in me (and I'm sure many others too) to feel this awful, anxiety-inducing guilt when I need to call out of work.
I came down with the flu on Monday (my birthday too nonetheless), and l've had to call off the past few days. We don't have a lot of staff in my department so no ones been able to cover my shift, although it is slow as fuck at work right now and I'm sure at the end of the day they're fine.
My boss keeps asking every day if I'm feeling any better to come into work yet and it's like, I want to! I need the money. But I am not feeling good at all. I used all my paid sick time on just the first 2 days I missed (didn't have a lot accrued), and I don't have health insurance so I'm just taking lots of vitamins and laying low the old fashioned way.
I just hate that I can't shake this guilt, this anxiety, because I know in my head that it doesn't fucking matter at the end of the day, but the learned feeling is still trapped in my chest. 🙁