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Poll: When I'm sick I... Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Ask for an extended deadline... | Aug 31, 2007 |
If I am sick, I ask for an extended deadline, but if that is not possible, I ask a colleague for help.
Have a nice day!
Fernando
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| Reliable colleagues | Aug 31, 2007 |
When I see I will not be able to meet a deadline, I call one or more reliable colleagues and ask for help.
I can always proofread their work. What's the sense of adding additional strain to a difficult situation?
Of course, if I know my client can give me some extra time to complete the assignment, I do not hesitate to ask for an extension. Otherwise I pass the job over after telling the client. In my humble opinion, this is the only responsible way to react.
... See more When I see I will not be able to meet a deadline, I call one or more reliable colleagues and ask for help.
I can always proofread their work. What's the sense of adding additional strain to a difficult situation?
Of course, if I know my client can give me some extra time to complete the assignment, I do not hesitate to ask for an extension. Otherwise I pass the job over after telling the client. In my humble opinion, this is the only responsible way to react.
Contingency planning is of the utmost importance in every business
Cheers,
mew
[Edited at 2007-08-31 16:10] ▲ Collapse
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Irene N
United States
Local time: 17:33
English to Russian
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I have already asked it once...
I do stop working for sure, but not by putting a pillow over my head and disconnecting from the world of living BEFORE I exercise some of the other options.
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Rad Graban (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:33
English to Slovak
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| Something different | Aug 31, 2007 |
Couple of weeks ago, I was attacked on Friday night and taken to hospital. I had three projects to finish by Monday. My mobile died on Saturday, so I couldn't contact anybody. When I was finally released from hospital on Monaday lunchtime still aching all over, I went straight home, switched my laptop on and started to work.
I checked my e-mails between two projects and was very suprised by some I'd received that morning. Two of them very nice and polite just wondering what's happening an... See more Couple of weeks ago, I was attacked on Friday night and taken to hospital. I had three projects to finish by Monday. My mobile died on Saturday, so I couldn't contact anybody. When I was finally released from hospital on Monaday lunchtime still aching all over, I went straight home, switched my laptop on and started to work.
I checked my e-mails between two projects and was very suprised by some I'd received that morning. Two of them very nice and polite just wondering what's happening and three (from the same agency) very unprofessional with the third one saying: "We don't need your translation. We are looking for somebody else". So, since then, when I'm sick, I stop working. I'm not gonna drop dead, just to keep my clients happy. ▲ Collapse
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Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 18:33
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
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| Degrees of sickness | Aug 31, 2007 |
Rad Graban wrote:
Couple of weeks ago, I was attacked on Friday night and taken to hospital.
How horrible! How are you doing now, Rad?
I guess it's a matter of how sick one is. If I'm too sick to think straight, I notify my clients and ask how they want to proceed. Otherwise, I usually keep chugging along and work.
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depends on the situation (seriousness of the sickness, difficulty of the text etc.) - mostly "work anyway" or "stop working".
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| I agree with Steven | Aug 31, 2007 |
I think it’s matter of how sick you are. If you get just a cold, you can work without any problem. It happened to me once that I had to deliver a rush and I started to feel sick at evening, so I couldn’t finish my work. The following day, I got up and ask for extra time. There was no problem and I could finish my translation. I know that sometimes the deadlines are very strict and there is no room for an extended delivery. What’s more, sometimes you can’t even contact the client to expla... See more I think it’s matter of how sick you are. If you get just a cold, you can work without any problem. It happened to me once that I had to deliver a rush and I started to feel sick at evening, so I couldn’t finish my work. The following day, I got up and ask for extra time. There was no problem and I could finish my translation. I know that sometimes the deadlines are very strict and there is no room for an extended delivery. What’s more, sometimes you can’t even contact the client to explain the situation, because it’s midnight or weekend. In that case, I would ask a very reliable colleague to do the work for me.
Have a nice weekend
Luciana
[Edited at 2007-08-31 17:59]
[Edited at 2007-08-31 18:00] ▲ Collapse
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Rad Graban wrote:
"We don't need your translation. We are looking for somebody else".
Actually, it is a quite non-professional impulsive reply!
When I get pressed or overloaded by both a hectic translation schedule and a sort of general malaise, I do prefer switching to a general project in a bid to vent the stress of the highly specialized legal and/or technical topics. That is conditioned by a very good time management and sound organization of my deadl... See more Rad Graban wrote:
"We don't need your translation. We are looking for somebody else".
Actually, it is a quite non-professional impulsive reply!
When I get pressed or overloaded by both a hectic translation schedule and a sort of general malaise, I do prefer switching to a general project in a bid to vent the stress of the highly specialized legal and/or technical topics. That is conditioned by a very good time management and sound organization of my deadline schedule. More often than not, a schedule is not that flexible. However, it is the August slump period which makes me feel sick. I like vacationing in translation.
[Edited at 2007-08-31 18:50] ▲ Collapse
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| I couldn't really answer the poll properly | Aug 31, 2007 |
I have so little experience of being sick. I did at one time get the odd migraine or two, but I have meanwhile found something that nips those in the bud before they start. I guess I couldn't work with toothache, but the dentist is also only 5 minutes away by foot, and about 2 minutes by bike.
Astrid
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John Cutler
Spain
Local time: 00:33
Spanish to English
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| It depends on how ill... | Aug 31, 2007 |
If I have a common cold, I tend to have some hot honey and lemon, maybe an aspirin and slog on.
My big health fear would be more along the lines of an attack of sciatica. I get one every couple of years. It means no work at all and an immediate juggling of the books to reach the end of the month
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Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Local time: 19:33
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
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| Fortunately, my best clients do have understanding | Aug 31, 2007 |
I have felt SICK-AND-TIRED two or three times. I have worked like mad... until I almost cannot go on. Then I told my client, he analyzed the situation, and answered back with an OK for an extended deadline. Guess what happened? My very last spot of available energy suddenly disappeared and I went to bed! To recover, gather energies, and finish the project "in time".
Believe me: those clients are worth their weight in gold. They have understanding! They know I am no abuser. They get ... See more I have felt SICK-AND-TIRED two or three times. I have worked like mad... until I almost cannot go on. Then I told my client, he analyzed the situation, and answered back with an OK for an extended deadline. Guess what happened? My very last spot of available energy suddenly disappeared and I went to bed! To recover, gather energies, and finish the project "in time".
Believe me: those clients are worth their weight in gold. They have understanding! They know I am no abuser. They get the feeling of reality: I'm telling the whole truth. ▲ Collapse
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janen
Local time: 10:33
Spanish to English
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| Mix of factors | Sep 1, 2007 |
I agree that it depends on the degree of illness and the deadlines. I have never actually had to ask for an extension or help due to illness. I have sometimes gone to bed for a rest, but still with time to get my jobs finished, so I counted that as work anyway.
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Andrea Riffo
Chile
Local time: 18:33
English to Spanish
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If it's a cold or even something slightly more uncomfortable with mild fever (38,5ºC / 101ºF), I modifiy my schedule (i.e., I start working at 11am instead of 8:30am) so that I can avoid extremely cold temperatures but keep on working. Why? Because as a freelancer it is extremely hard to get a paid sick leave.
However, some time ago I felt the mother of all headaches (my biggest health scare to date), ended up in the ER, had a CAT scan + spinal tap + full blood workup and was inte... See more If it's a cold or even something slightly more uncomfortable with mild fever (38,5ºC / 101ºF), I modifiy my schedule (i.e., I start working at 11am instead of 8:30am) so that I can avoid extremely cold temperatures but keep on working. Why? Because as a freelancer it is extremely hard to get a paid sick leave.
However, some time ago I felt the mother of all headaches (my biggest health scare to date), ended up in the ER, had a CAT scan + spinal tap + full blood workup and was interned ... the whole works**. Obviously, I asked my brother to phone my clients and let them know that I was temporarily out of the game and why.
Given that most of them (local clients) are MDs, nurses, and/or pharmaceutical company representatives, they understood that the situation was complicated and phoned me a couple of days later to ask how I felt. Some even pulled some strings at the clinic to ensure I was getting proper care and gave me (for free) the meds I was prescribed!!! :lol:
Andrea
**(btw, it turned out that the scare had nothing to do with my head) ▲ Collapse
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| Depends how sick I am ...... | Sep 1, 2007 |
I agree with all answers posted as "depends" (for that matter I don't think this is a good question, however, as answer is so obvious).
But here's my little thoughts.
Again, it all depends on how my physical conditions affecting my work morale and my professional pride.
After I weighed these, I may choose not to take the risk.
So here's my formula.
Pains > job responsibility = I stop working and seek for other remedies (e.g. turn to reliable collea... See more I agree with all answers posted as "depends" (for that matter I don't think this is a good question, however, as answer is so obvious).
But here's my little thoughts.
Again, it all depends on how my physical conditions affecting my work morale and my professional pride.
After I weighed these, I may choose not to take the risk.
So here's my formula.
Pains > job responsibility = I stop working and seek for other remedies (e.g. turn to reliable colleague, ask for extention of deadline, etc).
Job responsibility > pains = I continue start to finish
For us freelancers, our health should be our major concern.
[Edited at 2007-09-01 18:47] ▲ Collapse
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