Yesterday, I stayed home sick. I had the flu, or a cold, and didn’t feel like my coming into work would have been the best thing for either myself or the people there that might catch what I have.

The funny thing is that I spent quite a bit of the day with a nagging thought at the back of my head; “Will they fire me for being sick?!??”

Now, I know that wouldn’t be the case, but it still bothered me. Just a bit of background. I’m a consultant with a smallish company working on a fairly long-term contract. By all indications the work could go on for years (or, frankly, it could stop overnight). I’ve been doing a good job, and have had no complaints from either the client or my bosses. So why this idea that being sick might cause me to lose my employment?

Let Me Count the Ways

I’ve come to the conclusion it’s not just one reason for this strange reaction, but several.

The News – With all the discussion of rising unemployment and the loss of jobs, it seems scary to do anything in this work environment that might give cause for a pink slip. Yes, I know that businesses can’t fire you for just being sick. But I’m also working in an ‘at-will’ capacity. So everything’s fair game.

At-Will Employment

An employment agreement between the worker and employer where the worker can leave or be fired for any reason whatsoever. The position is filled ‘at-will’. If either party has any reason to dissolve the arrangement, there is little recourse other than specific state employment laws that can either prevent the job loss, or bring up various job-related charges. And in the case of legal charges, only if the employee has broken any state employment laws. This type of employment is becoming the norm for most jobs in our country today.

So, even though I’m doing a good job, on a long-running contract, there’s still the small fear of getting the ‘phone call’ (since I work remotely, it would be that probably, versus an in-person discussion with my boss). It doesn’t make much sense, but that’s how it it.

The Past – My company was acquired a year ago by another company, and there have been a steady stream of firings re-adjustments in all parts of the acquired companies. These ‘adjustments’ have continued on for the whole year, as the company tries to digest it’s acquisition, while fighting to survive in a down economy. I’m not wild to be ‘adjusted’ any time soon, but then again, I’m sure the others weren’t either.

The Sickness – No one who is sick, is firing on all cylinders, so, much of this could be in my head. This time I’m chalking it up to the flu. Being sick doesn’t completely discount the other points, but it does tend to inflate them beyond what they would normally be. Also, when you’re sitting in bed with a roaring headache, with nothing more to think about, you tend to drift into worst-case-scenarios. Or at least I do.

Maintaining the Balance

People crave stability, myself as well. We want things to be ‘guaranteed’ and ’safe’. This is an unrealistic expectation in this day and age. In the past, people were able to work for the same company for their entire life, and the company rewarded their employees for their hard work with loyalty and continued employment.

Fast-forward a few decades, and the idea that someone can work for the same company their entire life is almost laughed at. Employers show little or no loyalty to employees that have, in turn, done the same. It’s a vicious circle of ‘who-can-stab-who-first?’ In an on-going series of cost-cutting measures, even retirement arrangements like defined pensions, and employer retirement plans have been all but eliminated. The 401k is the de-facto standard, causing the day-to-day employee to also have to become an investment expert, or suffer through a retirement of Wal-Mart side jobs and ramen noodles for lunch.

Instability is the call-sign of today’s employment environment. You can be let go at any time, for pretty much any reason, losing your health and retirement benefits. It’s no wonder that people are mad at big businesses that callously treat their employees as disposable.

It’s past time that things change. More stability causes better work. If you’re not constantly looking for the next position, you can get a lot more done. Happy employees are productive employees. While scared or fed-up employees might seem happy, there’s a good chance they’re just waiting for the first opportunity to jump ship for some hopefully greener pastures.

Does your company promote stability and a good work environment, or are they one of the ones causing this problem?? Leave us a comment and let us know!