{"id":1186,"date":"2016-12-01T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=1186"},"modified":"2016-11-30T16:31:48","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T22:31:48","slug":"sick-days-and-toughing-it-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2016\/12\/01\/sick-days-and-toughing-it-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Sick Days and Toughing it Out"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by William Brawley, Flickr CC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Employees under strict attendance policies face a difficult choice when they are “technically” physically able to be present at work, but may not feel healthy enough to perform their job well. Debating whether or not to call in for the day, employees ask themselves not only if they feel sick, but if they <\/span>seem <\/span><\/i>sick enough to convince their superiors and coworkers. Talcott Parsons\u2019 classic work on “the sick role” helps us understand why. Sickness inhibits a person\u2019s ability to perform as others expect them to. However, people in the sick role are excused if their symptoms seem to be beyond their control and if they try to get better. Whether or not a person is really sick, taking on the sick role requires those around them to be convinced, granting the sickness legitimacy. Social science research shows how the ease of attaining the legitimated sick role differs depending on gender and class.<\/span><\/p>\n