Dear CoWorkers: (from last fall)

I apologize for coming to work sick today.

And yes, I would prefer to be at home, not only preventing from spreading my illness, but also so I can heal faster. However, please keep in mind the following before you judge me.

#1 - my employer does not provide me with any sick days
#2 - my employer has provided me with a less-than-competitive amount of vacation days (maxed out at seven days), that I choose to reserve for spending quality time with my family, and have already used all of them this year
#3 - for the past 18 months, I have been on zero overtime
#4 - for the past 12 months, I have been on reduced work hours
#5 - six months ago, my employer instituted a 10% reduction in our base pay

I understand that since I am a contractor, and most of you are permanent employees, with many more days of paid time off, and much better overall benefits, you may not understand my situation.

I hope that with the above information you now understand why I am at my desk. Financially speaking, I do not feel that I can afford to stay home.

I promise to limit my personal contact with you.

And if it's any comfort, I'm pretty sure that I have the same virus that my daughter had over the weekend. It's not pleasant, but appears to run its course in 1-2 days.


Thank you for your kind consideration in this matter,