I am sick. Will my boss understand?

I don’t spend my precious “free” time scrolling through social media, unless it is LinkedIn and I have the opportunity to help someone find their dream job or I am interacting with HERverse. However, I have heard of the memes and TikTok videos that feature someone acting out the different generations at work. I am pretty sure I’ve seen a parody video about taking a sick day. It goes something like this:

Boomers: I’m not feeling well today but I’ll down this Dayquil and push through. These reports won’t finish themselves. I’ll even pull some overtime to make up for any lack of productivity my illness may cause. (cringe)

Millennials: I’m not feeling well. If I could take an hour to go to Urgent Care, I can skip my lunch and be back in the afternoon. Would that be okay?

Gen Z: I’m out sick today.

While I won’t get into the sociological features of each generation, it is clear the parody assumes Gen Z gets something right: self-care. No, I’m not talking about a bubble bath with wine and candles, self-care. But the type of self-care that is rarely praised, but desperately needed in the work world.

We’re humans and we’re going to get sick one time or another, especially now in cold and flu season. Achoo!

When we power through and bring our illness into the office and attempt to work at 99% capacity, it does no one any favors. Instead, you’re putting your colleagues at risk of catching your illness. You are NOT going to firing off all cylinders. It is going to take LONGER for you to get better and it isn’t healthy in the first place. You want to bring your best self to work, right? You can't do that if your immune system is in overdrive. You can't be YOU.

Take the darn sick day.

— Kristie Clayton

HERverse Founder
#HERthoughts