Class coverage when sick

[Linsul]

This is also for owners too. Being that it's prime time for sick kids (which usually means some sort of quasi-plague for coaches) What is your gyms standard policy for calling out sick or going to the doctor?

The standard drill is make a flurry of phone calls and hope for the best. When the best doesn't happen though, and you have nobody for your classes, what do you guys do?

I've been sick for awhile, fever on Monday. Went to the gym. Very last minute sub was found, I went home. Tues. was not 100% but okay, today went back to terrible. I don't sound bad, and since I was showing up I tried to look better than an invalid. So I don't sound terrible, and I look pretty normal (thank you chapstick and visine), but I feel awful. My lips are chapped from not being able to breathe through my nose for days, still can't breathe through my nose, my ears are stuffed and clicking, and my eyes are a little red and watery. I made an appointment at an after hours clinic. When I got there my temp was 102, and I was diagnosed with acute sinusitis and a raging ear infection. Since I had to go to an after hours clinic, all the pharmacies were closed and I have no antibiotics until tomorrow.

How bad do you guys have to feel before declaring I don't care? Does it 'look bad' to say you're sick and need a day to rest despite not looking ravaged? I'm starting to feel like the ability to take care of oneself is a first come first serve thing. But if you really are sick, chances are you aren't waking up at the crack of dawn to inform the powers that be and starting the phone list shakedown. Does anyone have a decent way of handling this? Or one that they are happy with?

Maybe I'm just grumpy, but yeah coaches are people, and we get sick.

 

[BlairBob]

At one private rec club, they basically told us to come in unless we were not able to. If it meant frequent trips kneeling or sitting on a throne, that wouldn't do ya' know?

If we could pass it off, we should get in. Obviously, if a coach was running 104+ and halfway delirious they should probably just call in and try to arrange for a sub. We were taught to arrange our own subs and it was frowned upon for the office and managerial staff to do so.

I found lots of ricolas, water, OJ, contrast showers and sweating it out in my waterbed or spa could do the trick for awhile. It would get me through a shift and I'd go home, eat, hydrate, sleep and do it all over again.

However, working at a city gym, it was generally ok to call in if you were sick. Gotta remember we were city employees. We still tried to come in if we were sick, but not so much if we needed a day of rest.

 

[CoachKat]

Our gym is rather small and it is only me and the gym owner as coaches we coach every class together!!! We could probably hire at least one or two more coaches but neither of us trust that anyone else will do as good as job. Anywho I don't get sick days for this reason I stick it out. Right now I am pregnant and will be there everyday till summer break then I'm due. Last year the owner was pregnant and had the same set up. Heck she was at the toilet alot lucky for me I don't usually get puky sick. But heck even when I worked other jobs I never took sick days. I have owned my own restaraunt and I will tell you one thing it doesn't matter how you feel the show has to go on. Not trying to sound insensitive just tellin my side.

 

[Linsul]

Oh I feel you guys on the show must go on! I always show up, but 102 was pushing the threshold for me lol. Sucks when you don't know whats wrong with you or if it's getting worse or better. After hours clinics are hell on the wallet too So 104 is when delirium sets in and driving is not okay, noted! I was hoping the phone list method was outdated and there was some new awesome way to handle being sick. Blairbob, your methods and mine are the same! I love ricolas and oj.

When I'm sick I usually let the kids know that I won't be doing any heavy spotting and such, just so I don't smear them with germs. They're okay with it unless it means not doing back handsprings lol. There's plenty of non spotting stuff to do, and they've made a joke of 'air fives.' My ears were so clogged feeling it was hard to hear with all the noise in the gym. I heard my name everytime, but everything else was competing with the internal *snap*crackle*pop* in my head. So it's not terrible if I can function, but yeah it was entering the zone where I truly wasn't sure if I wouldn't be better off in the doctors office.

Grats on pregnancy CoachKat! Very exciting news!

 

[CoachGoofy]

How bad do you guys have to feel before declaring I don't care? Does it 'look bad' to say you're sick and need a day to rest despite not looking ravaged? I'm starting to feel like the ability to take care of oneself is a first come first serve thing. But if you really are sick, chances are you aren't waking up at the crack of dawn to inform the powers that be and starting the phone list shakedown. Does anyone have a decent way of handling this? Or one that they are happy with?

Maybe I'm just grumpy, but yeah coaches are people, and we get sick.

We're rather low on coaches, and my kids tend to be kind of "attached", so I basically don't call in unless I'm dying. Last time I called in was because I couldn't stop throwing up and the ER wouldn't let me go home.

Time before that...I don't remember. But I've got a sinus infection that won't go away. I caught it from the gym anyway. They all come to practice sick.

 

[newbiecoach]

For the rec classes we have a sub list to call if you are sick, and your expected to find your own sub buts its hard at the last minute so I have worked while sick and just hoped someone was at the gym that would help me out.
But with the team kids I coach there are no subs there are 2 of us for 20 kids so when the other one is sick we just make due with a bigger group.

 

[kiwiflyer]

With colds and flus our coaches tend to come in unless they're delirious, but if it's a stomach bug then they don't cos those pretty much knock you out and if you're spending most of the time in the bathroom, it's not a good luck. He he... we let parents/kids know when we've had a stomach bug (and been away), as an example that we don't really want their kids in the gym with something similar. Last year, we had a kid throw up in the middle of the gym floor, and no matter how hard you try to keep kids away from vomit, they seem to gravitate towards it (in the time when someone is trying to clean it up). Sorry, that was probably a bit gross.