Maybe the dilemma’s not even that easy. Let’s be honest, the job situation has people worried about getting laid off or fired for missing too much work. Some companies also classify sick leave and vacation days under the same pool of accrued time, so taking a sick day today means a shorter vacation in a couple of months. Or a sick day today means having to find a sitter when your child gets sick later this season. Unfortunately, the issue isn’t as simple as don’t go to work if you don’t feel 100 percent.

This article in the Chicago Tribune discusses how employers are trying to balance business needs with sick workers reluctant to stay home.

From the article:

Some employees have to ration their sick days carefully or may not have any paid time off. Others weigh the fear of making a bad impression against the risk of prolonging an illness and feeling worse.

“It’s very hard to take off of work at my job,” said Noor Aweidah, who works for the president of a marketing firm and helps bring in new clients. “Things being the way they are today, new business is a real priority. If I’m not there, meetings are not happening, calls are not taking place.”

Even with her concerns, Aweidah recently had to take a rare day off to keep some incipient flu-like symptoms from worsening. She canceled a client meeting and made sure the interns under her supervision knew their daily tasks, then lay down on her couch to watch bad movies and drink tea.

The client was understanding about needing to reschedule, she said.

“It’s hard being in a creative environment to not be on your A game, especially when you’re interfacing with clients,” Aweidah said. “But they don’t want to meet with someone who’s coughing or sweating.”

And on last week’s Harvard Business Ideacast, experts ask Is Your Business Ready for H1N1? (Even if you’re not an employer, it’s worth checking out to hear what companies are doing for their employees and what they want to see happening in workplaces.)

When you’re deciding whether or not to come in to the office, or even if you’re not sick but are wondering what you’ll do if you do get some form of flu this season, here are some tips:

• Talk to your boss now.
  Find out what the company’s doing about the flu this year. Is it the same policy as last year or are they asking you to take different precautions?
• What are your work-from-home options?
  If you have the kind of job where working from home is possible, see what the policy is. Do you need permission before doing it or can you call in one morning and say you need to work from home? Does it count against your time off at all?
• Do you need a note if you miss a certain amount of consecutive days?
  Let’s be honest, most of us don’t know the details of every company policy. Many employers require a doctor’s note for anyone who stays home for more than a certain amount of consecutive days, so you don’t want to show up after a week out and be told to go home until return with a note.
• Do you  really need to go in today?
  If you’re in that gray zone where you  might be getting sick or you might just have a 24-hour bug, you could be wondering if you should go to work or stay home. There are pros and cons to both, and you might have your own reasons for wanting to go in. Just remember that if you are contagious and you end up getting the whole office sick, no one will be pleased with you, especially if it means half of your group is out and everyone else has to work twice as hard.
• Do you have any other perks?
  Some companies pay for their employees to get the flu vaccine (the regular one, not the H1N1 vaccine, since it’s being offered free). If you want the flu shot, see if your company covers the cost or will reimburse you for it. Also see if they’ll be providing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to people in the office.

Also check out this article from fellow blogger Rachel Zupek.

Have you dealt with any of these issues this flu season?

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So are there any bright spots?

Yes, actually. Health care added 29,000 jobs in October. Temporary employment services had steadily lost jobs in the beginning of the year, but in October they added 34,000 jobs. Companies have the need for more workers, but they’re cautious of adding new permanent employees. If the economy struggles again, they’d prefer to not renew temporary workers’ contracts rather than layoff a group of employees.

Two CareerBuilder.com experts were on TV to discuss the job numbers and the job outlook this morning.

First up, watch CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

And senior career adviser Michael Erwin was on CBS 2 in Chicago. Watch that clip here.

You can also read the detailed, full report from the BLS on its site.

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They say that economic factors are likely to have played a role in the decrease. Industries that typically account for most workplace injuries and fatalities, like construction — which declined 20 percent — have experienced large declines in the number of hours worked and the number of employed persons, which ultimately lead to less injury.

Another finding that might be related to the economy? Workplace suicides. Workplace suicides rose from 196 cases in 2007 to 251 cases in 2008, an increase of 28 percent and the highest number ever reported by the fatality census. Suicides among protective service occupations rose from 14 in 2007 to 25 in 2008.

Other key findings:

• Fatal work injuries in the private construction sector in 2008 declined by 20 percent from the updated 2007 total, twice the all-worker decline of 10 percent.
• Fatal workplace falls, which had risen to a series high in 2007, also declined by 20 percent in 2008.
• Workplace suicides were up 28 percent to a series high of 251 cases in 2008, but workplace homicides declined 18 percent in 2008.
• The number and rate of fatal work injuries among 16 to 17-year-old workers were higher in 2008.
• Fatal occupational injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2008 were 17 percent lower than in 2007. Fatalities among non-Hispanic Black or African American workers were down 16 percent.
• The number of fatal workplace injuries in farming, fishing and forestry occupations rose 6 percent in 2008 after declining in 2007.
• Transportation incidents, which accounted for approximately two-fifths of all the workplace fatalities in 2008, fell 13 percent from the previous series low of 2,351 cases reported in 2007.

Want to see the most dangerous occupations, according to workplace fatalities? Check out this graph.

Click here to read the full report.

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• This is definitely a regional issue, but I suspect it’s something we’ll be seeing in various states. So students, pay attention to deadlines.
  130,000 Illinois college students denied financial aid
• And I thought a co-workers garlic breath would be the most severe aroma-related offense.
  Well, then. “34 hospitalized after co-worker sprays perfume”
• Talk about a bittersweet day. Well, really, just a bad day. But at least he had a job to call in the morning.
  Lightning fire zaps Richardson man’s return to work after 6-month layoff
• Hugging trees and saving lives will be our way to prosperity! No, seriously.
  Healthcare, green tech brighten dim U.S. jobs picture

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Here’s what you should catch up on:

• This is a good FYI that could help your job hunt…or it’s just good to know.
  Comparisons of full- and part-time hourly earnings, 2007
• Sometimes, knowing what NOT to do is as helpful as knowing what to do.
  Desperation and other mistakes job-seekers should avoid
• Interviews aren’t fun, so here are some helpful hints.
  Answers to six tough job interview questions
• Free stuff! (In North Carolina, at least.)
  Charlotte Domino’s offers gift cards to the unemployed

See you on Hump Day!

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Before you begin your weekend relaxation, read these stories. You’ll not only be current on what’s in the news, you’ll also wow your friends with your vast knowledge.

• Can we all say, “Ugh” collectively?
  Jobless Checks for Millions Delayed as States Struggle
• Here are some books to help with a job search. Though, we’re partial to this one. Hehe.
  4 new books for job seekers and career changers
• Volunteering is good for your application and will make you feel better. (Plus, if you’re reading this in the US, imagine this article in a delightful Irish accent.)
  Volunteering: keeping spirits up while looking for work
• Gee, way to rain to the parade.
  In Economic Recovery, Not So Fast on the New Jobs

Have a good weekend, y’all!

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• Are we nearing the end of the recession? — Bloomberg
• Putting a cactus near your computer monitor might be good for you — The Daily Green
• Jobs where the paychecks are getting bigger — Forbes
• Tips for those considering online classes to boost their careers — 45things
• 40 years after the moon landing we wonder: How does one get a job at NASA? — NASA.org

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Here are your daily reads.

Print these stories out or pull them up on your phone so you can read them on the way home. Unless you drive home. If that’s the case, just read them before your French dinner so you can strike up conversation with your family or roommate. If you live alone, call someone and start telling them about what you learned.

• Apparently we should be seeing the effects of the stimulus soon. So, let’s start looking for any!
  Stimulus spending finally starts to trickle down
• Palin disliked “gotcha journalism.” How do IT people feel about tricky interviews? Doesn’t matter. This article helps ‘em out.
  IT Job Seekers: Can You Answer 12 Gotcha Questions?
• We like you. So while we help you find a job or maintain civility at your workplace, we also want you to get more money. Read this article to see how.
  Tax Benefits for Job Seekers
• This story’s from our friends to the north (Hi, Canada!), but I think it’s still relevant. Young job seekers in all parts of North America are struggling to find work, and they can take solace in the fact that they’re not alone.
  Young summer-job seekers face uphill battle

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• Good news is always welcome.
  As Technology Needs Grow, One Sector Has No Shortage of Jobs
• I believe this. I wonder how many people are doing the same thing.
  Job seekers putting health benefits first
• Let’s hope so…
  White House: Health, green jobs growing quickly
• I find this a little surprising, but understandable. Have any of you done this?
  Crisis spurs people to work for free – good or bad?

Happy Monday!

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the 2008 results from its annual American Time Use Survey. The ATUS focuses on the average amount of time per day in 2008 that individuals worked, did household activities, cared for household children, participated in educational activities, and engaged in leisure and sports activities.

Here’s what it looked like for employed persons in 2008, according to the survey:

• Employed persons worked an average of 7.6 hours on the days that they worked. They worked longer on weekdays than on weekend days—7.9 versus 5.6 hours.

• On the days that they worked, employed men worked about 0.9 hour (52 minutes) more than employed women. This difference partly reflects women’s greater likelihood of working part time. However, even among full-time workers (those usually working 35 hours or more per week), men still worked 8.3 hours versus women working 7.7 hours.
• Many more people worked on weekdays than on weekend days; that is, they spent some time doing tasks required for a job, regardless of whether it was part of their usual work schedule or arrangement. Eighty-three percent of employed persons worked on an average weekday compared with 34 percent on an average weekend day.
• On the days that they worked, 21 percent of employed persons did some or all of their work at home, and 86 percent did some or all of their work at their workplace. Men and women were about equally likely to do some or all of their work at home.
• Multiple jobholders were almost twice as likely to work on an average weekend day as were single jobholders—59 versus 31 percent. Multiple jobholders also were much more likely to work at home than were single jobholders—36 versus 19 percent.
• Self-employed workers were more likely than wage and salary workers to have done some work at home—55 versus 17 percent.
• On the days that they worked, 35 percent of employed people age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher did some work at home compared with only 9 percent of those with less than a high school diploma.

I thought these results were pretty interesting. I compared the numbers in 2007, and they are all only a few percentage points off of this year’s numbers. Given our current state of economy, we know that employed persons are working longer hours during the workweek and on weekends due to their increased workloads — these numbers, however, don’t really show that. I’ll be anxious to see how the 2009 numbers stack up…

What are your thoughts?

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