Malinger (a Monday malady?)
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October 7, 2013
___ ‘Tis Monday and some folks might find a day like this suitable to malinger and call in sick to work.
“Malinger” means to feign illness or injury, especially to avoid work or other responsibilities.
Perhaps after a particularly good weekend, or a particularly bad weekend, one might open their eyes Monday morning and feel a desperate resistance against re-entering the daily grind. In such cases, many a supervisor has furled a brow when taking the sick call, wondering if the ‘sickly’ voice on the other end was exaggerated.
Back when I had office jobs there were a couple times I woke to such a day — Monday or other weekday. I chose not to malinger by calling to say I was sick when I wasn’t. Instead I called my present boss and said I wasn’t sick, however I had plenty of sick days and requested to stay home and use the day as a ‘mental health day.’
Both bosses were a bit surprised at my candor. I was lucky, they were pretty cool and granted my requested days off as sick day credit. Each time the next day I showed up refreshed and integrity intact; they asked how my day off was; I said swell, and we proceeded to the tasks at hand.
Malingering isn’t secluded to Mondays, nor to the office environment. A friend might malinger to avoid a promise to help you move, for example.
In the office, most people expect there might be a little malingering to use sick days at work, and perhaps ’tis because the employee calling in needs a mental health day to have a break and tend to themself. Yet, if one malingers oft, it becomes a concern. Same goes if you have a “friend” who loves your hospitality and your care per their needs, yet malingers when you need them.
Do you recall a time you felt tempted to malinger?
This Jacquée T. Writer in Residence Word of the Day is brought to you by Circle S Ranch and Country Inn, rural Lawrence Kansas.
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