I am a Union Employee and I work under a company with a VERY strong Union. We do not put up with shit at all from anybody, I used to work at Walmart I didn't put up with shit there either.
So today I'm going to offer 1 piece of advice to handle a uncomfortable situation and put a Employeer/boss in their place and may do more in the future depending on feed back.
Today I'm going to address sick time and injuries, and other medical issues.
Often times employers are very difficult to let you go home let you miss work, let you do anything. To take care of yourself, so the best thing you can do for these situations is shift the liability off of yourself and into your boss.
The simplest way to do this, if you can afford a doctor, or even a small clinic appointment(some grocery stores provide minor check ups for dirt cheap, 10$ even) if to go into there and explain your situation, and ask them to give you a doctor's note for restrictions you don't need a full check up just restrictions. If you have a virus, that may be not handling food, or not lifting so much, or they may instruct you to rest for a few days, get what you can get. And make sure you get a time frame so you don't need a 2nd appointment to return to work.
Now, you have a temporary disability, which is covered and protected by the federal department of labor, and your employer is OBLIGATED to provide you with reasonable accommodations.
But like said, you don't want to put the liability on your own shoulders, you want to put your manager and company on the line and make them violate it. So you bring them your restrictions, and make it Cristal clear, in writing if you can, text email etc will work. Simply stating these are your restrictions, that you are not voluntarily wanting to take time off, and tell your employer they need to accommodate your temporary restrictions.
Now if you are in food service, a restriction of not serving or touching food, might be a problem, retail having a no lifting restriction may be a problem… but none of that is your problem to figure out, you properly notified your employer, and are entitled to reasonable restrictions without any disciplinary actions. DO NOT agree to voluntarily stay home if they give in(as they will likely still count it on attendance). If they decide, they want you to stay home, make them require you to stay home, make them send you home, have your boss take that responsibility, and make it explicitly clear(in writing preferred) that you want to work within your restrictions….
Some employers may offer you alternative work, retail might put you answering phones, or a sitting job. If that's the case, do the job. Sit get the easy money.
If they ignore it completely, and put you to work anyways, notify them that they are FULLY responsible for anything that comes from your continued work in violation of your restrictions as they are aware of them. If it causes further injury job issues etc, that's a lawsuit(don't tell them about potential law suits let them dig their own hole). If you work extremely slow like accomplish 1 hour of work in an 8 hour day, you are doing the best you can. If they discipline you for poor preforming that's a lawsuit, you can't punish an employee for a temporary disability, and it will raise 100 more questions why they are working you sick, the department of labor and Osha will have one hell of a time finding those answers after you report a discrimination case. A disability given by a doctor or nurse even temporarily is a protected class.
I've done this at Wal-Mart, and got every single thing excused. Small business might resist it, because they don't know better, but you will likely bankrupt them if they don't obey and it leads to a department of labor report. Let them do it anyways, teach them a lesson.
They CANNOT retaliate against you, document anything that happens after you do this, if you get reduced pay, hours, moved to a worse job, treated poorly, these things are retaliation and they are likely to try them, but immediately report it they will get checked and likely be extremely nice to you afterwards out of fear.