It’s an unfortunate fact of reality, but we’ve all been in this boat. Everyone knows what it’s like to wake up with an irritated, scratchy throat or a chill running through your bones. It doesn’t feel like much at first but you know it’s something you’re going to have to deal with. Your boss is expecting you at work in a few hours and you can’t just ghost everyone. You need to somehow remedy this situation. It might seem like a real pain or out of touch, but getting a doctor’s not is the best way to deal with this situation.
1.) Lots of People Fake It
It’s easy to call out when you have a bunch of sick days that you haven’t used. Most people do this and it’s often not without reason. Perhaps the previous weekend was particularly long and you needed just one extra day to recover. Maybe there were some family issues that managed to pop up. It really doesn’t matter what the reason was because most people have sick days that they haven’t used at all. However, there is a lingering impression that is left when somebody decides to take a day off of work. Even if the company policy is pretty lax when it comes to absences, most employers have the lingering idea that people are faking it. This becomes the problem when a company policy becomes one of unquestioned days off. While legally, they can’t press as to why a person takes that day off; their opinion is untouched by the law. Just because your employer can’t legally take any action against a day or two off, doesn’t mean that it won’t impact his impression of you. By taking the time to go and get the note it shows that you are not only willing to take your free day to be poked and prodded by the doctor, but also that you are willing to try and show that you are trustworth to your boss. It may seem arbitrary, but in a world where job security is often fleeting, being an employee that is willing to show their worth goes very far.
2.) You Never Know What Might Actually Be Wrong With You
Sure. Most of the time, it’s just a simple respiratory infection or a cold that just won’t go away. You never know what the culprit could really be. While being optimistic is always a good mindset, when it comes to your own health it’s always important to think about all scenarios. Most serious illness rarely comes on out of nowhere. They usually start as some minor illness that was never treated and ends up becoming a very severe illness as the immune system struggles to battle it. By going to get a doctor’s note you effectively throw this option out the window. It’s not always worth being a hypochondriac, but a little bit of concern goes a long way when it comes to your own health and wellness. No one will blame you for going to get blood work or a strep swab.
3.) You Are Setting a Precedent
It might seem like nothing, but by going to get a doctor’s note3 you are saying that you truly do care about health and wellness. This isn’t a singular statement, but rather that you think that people should be willing to get into the doctor’s office and talk about what is going on with them. There is no shame in being a human being and falling under the weather. In reality, we all get sick at some point and creating a culture of openness and understanding about this fact only makes it easier for people who might be afraid to actually get into the doctor’s office. It’s important to stand for something and even though getting a doctor’s note might seem minor, you are really showing that you care about how healthcare really impacts people. By going to get a doctor’s note you show that you not only care about those around you and wish to not get them sick, but that you also want to make sure that other people take care of their own maladies.
As much as that scribble on a piece of paper might seem, next time, go and get that doctor’s note here.