Greetings, Guest Blogger *1. As someone who has worked within the health service for the past 21 years, including years of shiftwork, late finishes, lifting heavy people and hurting my back, covering for colleagues when they go off sick/working with colleagues who come in with raging temperatures and viruses when they're too scared to go off sick, coming into contact with sick people on a regular basis, working for 12 hours instead of 8 due to short staffing and generally running around like a blue arsed fly I am quite happy to have more sick leave than my brother who works in a lovely air conditioned office with coffee machine and water fountain and subsidised gym membership. It's not as if we are asking for an extra week sick leave as part of our contract, but a little understanding and leeway would be nice. I am quite serious when I say that we often don't get time to go to the toilet, never mind popping down to Pret for a sarnie and latte. It's not every day but it does happen. Work a 12 hour shift and see if you want to pop down to the gym. Tom, I love you dearly but if you ever attend one of these meetings again without a union rep or at least a friend I will wallop you with the stick o'pain. Get it all in writing. I sympathise with you. I tend to get sick more than my friends, for some unknown reason I will get bronchitis at least once a year. I'm not a smoker, I'm not asthmatic and I eat green stuff and everything. Flu vaccines don't do much for me either. I had to sit my exams with the following set as I'd lost time due to a back injury in the 2nd year. I am the Queen of the Sickie. Genuine, mind you. Fortunately I haven't been hauled in the office for it yet, but I suspect that if they wanted to make a point about it they could. I would have to wonder whether or not they do have it in for you. You could always come back to nursing.......................you know you want to...............