My sister is a physical therapist. She has a doctorate. Her work fundamentally involves being close to other people and touching them. This is one of those fields that 10-20 years ago everybody said would be booming and highly lucrative. Her sick time is counted against her vacation time.
We live in a country completely captured by corporations.
If I can sit up in a chair, I log in and stay near my computer to attend meetings and answer emails.
Even then, the majority of my time goes to being sick.
In either of those cases, I would be scheduling a 1-on-1 with whoever is closest to being able to change that policy, in the smallest meeting room I can find, sitting right next to them, and then letting whatever symptoms of my illness take over. Gastric problems causing diarrhea or vomit? Congrats, I'm going to either literally poop in your lap, or vomit in your face. I'm coughing up phlegm? Sorry, here's a towel to wipe off your face. Something's bleeding? You might want to go get yourself tested for STDs and whatnot, gods know what depths I've been plumbing in my spare time. Severe pain such that I can barely sit? Your face looks nice and squishy to use as a stress ball.
They'll just turn down the meeting request, tell your supervisor what you've done and you'll suffer either real punishment or be unofficially 'punished'. You may even be fired because of "at-will" employment: Anyone can be fired for (almost) any reason at any time.
Generally you just don't get time off, or maybe you can take the time off without pay (if they're extra generous). Such is life in the USA, there is no response: You will do what the owners of capital say, or you will go hungry.
That's all there is to it.
Well, I'm not scheduling a 1-on-1 to discuss shitting in their lap. I'll dangle some kind of carrot they can't help but go for.
Sure, after, I will probably lose my job, that's understandable; We're well past the point of civility then anyhow -- after all, we're contemplating shitting in someone's lap or bleeding onto them to potentially pass blood-borne diseases to them.
> Generally you just don't get time off, or maybe you can take the time off without pay (if they're extra generous). Such is life in the USA, there is no response: You will do what the owners of capital say, or you will go hungry.
I'm well aware, as per your opening question -- I do live in the US. What I'm trying to get at is that it's long past time to be despondent about this. It's time to be angry. It's time to shit in _someones_ lap.