It’s cold and flu season, and everyone in your office is sick. You can tell, because they’re hacking and coughing in every cubicle and common area in your office. If only they’d stay home. Of course, when you fall ill, thanks to the fact that everyone at your company works when they’re sick, you’ll come in, too. And the cycle goes on.
(Photo Credit: mcfarlandmo/Flickr)
It’s time to call a halt. Jessica Sager at The Grindstone recently wrote a hilarious open letter to her sick co-workers, one that we should all be forced to read before we head into the office with a runny nose and a cough.
“Next time you’re sick, please just stay home,” Sager writes. “You may think you’re being a martyr by coming to work when you don’t feel well, but really, you’re just Patrick from The Walking Dead, and you’re infecting everyone else. You’re not doing anyone any favors. You’re just making all of us mad and sick.”
When Should You Stay Home?
Over at WebMD, Dr. Catherine Cummins draws a definite line at fever, but says workers should also stay home when they’re feeling too sick to do their jobs well. (If this sounds like a big duh to you, remember that the folks making these decisions aren’t feeling well.)
“People are concerned about calling in sick, but if you’re really feeling unwell and especially if you have a fever, you need to stay home,” says Cummins. “A little bit of common sense goes a long way.”
But I Can Work From Home, Right?
Don’t, unless you absolutely have to. In addition to the fact that you’re unlikely to do your best work while you’re jacked up on cold medicine, not getting enough rest could extend the length of your illness. Odds are, folks would rather have you back at full capability sooner.
Plus, you’d be surprised how often people forget to thank the office martyr. Save your health and your sanity: get some rest.
Tell Us What You Think
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