I can sympathize with your predicament insofaras I used to be in the same boat a while back. I guess time off is one of those perks related to your value as an employee. While I was at the bottom of the pile, it seemed I never got time off unless I didn't care about getting paid. Now that I have moved up close to the top, I am being offered a better deal because it is one of those incentives that keeps the company competitive for talent such as mine. I guess it goes with getting paid what you're worth, or only as much as it costs to replace you, depending on your perspective.

It would be interesting I think if companies were taken to task just like they would be regarding a job related injury. It should be no different, and employees who are reckless enough to come to work sick should be treated the same as those who recklessly injure others at work. It should never have gotten to the point where the employees have to make a judgement call about whether they should choose between the welfare of their fellow workers or getting paid. If a person's lifestyle is such that they risk their own health, then that risk shouldn't automatically be translated to others without penalty, regardless of how well off they are or aren't. It should never be a question of whether people earned the time off or not. If you get sick from work, then you should be entitled, regardless of the cause, and if you make someone sick at work, then you should bear the penalty for that action, whether you can afford it or not.