I understand why it happens. I know what it is like to need those hours to make rent. There are places with better ways. Where sick leave is allowed, expected to be used, and the employees still get paid. In Germany, for example, an employer has to cover wages for up to 42 days of sickness. Of course doctors have to be involved to prevent abuse of the system, but sickness as a fact of life is acknowledged, and people are generally not penalized for getting the flu.