Office jobs may seem pretty laid-back at first glance. But with demanding customers, important meetings and looming deadlines piling up, using a sick day may seem like it’s not an option to some businesspeople.
But if you’re contagious or have symptoms that hurt your productivity, you might be doing more harm than good by going into the office. Your employer might appreciate that you get that important project across the finish line on time, but they certainly won’t appreciate it if you get several of your coworkers sick in the process.
That’s doubly true if you work in the healthcare field – the sick tending to the sick is a recipe for disaster.
“It is important that associates do not come to work ill,” said registered nurse Amy Smith, manager of Employee Health, Target Leave and Associate Leave Programs at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “We do not want to compromise the health of other associates or our patient population.”
If you’re sick, you should also think about how effective you’ll be at your job. “Presenteeism,” as defined by a 2004 Center for Health Research & Rural Advocacy at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Penn., study, is defined as the practice of coming to work despite illness, injury or other distress, often resulting in reduced productivity. According to that study, presenteeism cost American companies about $150 billion in lost productivity.
So, how do you know if you should stay home? The symptoms that merit the most attention are a temperature above 101.5 degrees, severe coughing or wheezing, chest pain or shortness of breath, Smith said.
If you’re experiencing minor symptoms, think about whether or not they could become major ones. If you’ve been exposed to someone who is ill and exhibited similar symptoms that worsened, chances are good that the same will happen to you.
Though employers who give their workers sick days understand that it makes good business sense to do so, many workers do not receive them. If you’re lucky enough to work for a company that grants sick days to its employees, don’t be afraid to use one “” even if it means missing a project deadline. You’ll be doing your boss and your coworkers a favor in the long-run.
