Thursday, April 18, 2024

When You’re Not at Work

Who fills in for you when you unexpectedly cannot come into work, and what are the consequences when you don’t show up?

By Eric Nederlof, Solidarity Program and Support Local Manager

Recently, I underwent a surgical procedure due to a sports injury that had a limited window of time to be completed. Things went about as well as I could hope, although in large part that was thanks to somebody cancelling an appointment. Without that, I probably would have had to go the rest of my life with a permanent physical limitation.

After my injury, I directly interacted with at least 18 different healthcare personnel on 22 separate occasions leading up to surgery. During the two weeks after surgery, I had two unexpected events happen. I got a fever that lasted about 36 hours and really threw me, and I received news of an upcoming family funeral.

All these things started to make me think about the impact that workers being unexpectedly absent has on others. For me, it meant I had to move a few work-related appointments. Certainly, inconveniences to deal with for others, but all in all, not life-altering ramifications.

Then I thought, what if something like this had happened to one of the healthcare personnel in my process? What if the surgeon had a fever the day of my surgery and could not operate? Would I have been bumped while waiting at the operating room door? If it was the surgeon, the radiologist, or the MSK ultrasound technician, would it have postponed the surgery a few hours, a day or two, or could it have made the difference of even being able to get it done within the necessary window?

Surely others have had the experience of unexpected absences by very key individuals that left troubling consequences—perhaps even life-altering ones.

What about you and your workplace? What happens if you’re not there to fill your role? Does somebody get called in who wasn’t planning to work, or do others have to do extra duties to make up for what you couldn’t do? Or does productivity suffer and, depending on your industry, negative consequences to a customer, a project deadline, or your coworkers occur?

Because of human failure and shortcomings, workplace structures are often set up to be able to withstand or compensate for some level of absenteeism. But it still has a problematic ripple effect. Hopefully, our structures are able to shrink the ripples until they disappear, rather than becoming bigger and bigger and creating a massive wave that brings chaos, if even for a time.

Your presence at work matters. Making the effort to go to work and to do your best at it, matters. It matters to your coworkers and your clients, customers, or the residents under your care. Your absence is always felt, and your presence always missed when you’re not there. Your job may not be brain (or arm) surgery, but don’t doubt that it has meaning and impact all the same.

When You’re Not at Work

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