Go To Work While Sick?

Canada
October 19, 2009 9:23pm CST
With the recent outbreak of the H1N1 flu, I'm hearing a lot of public service announcements saying that if you feel sick, you should stay home. But with the current state of the economy, many people can't afford to take a day off work, especially if it means losing a day's pay. I'm wondering if you were sick, would you stay home, or would you still go in to work even if it meant spreading your cold or flu to your co-workers?
4 people like this
27 responses
• United States
20 Oct 09
I would go in unless I was too sick to drive, feaver, or constant trips to the potty. The worst thing they can do is send you home. Especially if someone is afraid for their job & can't afford to loose pay, one must do what they have to do.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Oct 09
but what if you had the swine flu and did not know it and gave it to a coworker, would you not feel badly?
• Canada
21 Oct 09
Sickness is very troublesome for workers, and students, as it weakens and stresses your body. However, work is very important and bears difficult consequences if we skip it. I would continue work if my sickness is not too bad. Although we can recover without staying home (most of time, work is similar to home, except with more work), our co-workers might become infected with our sickness. Guilt sets in and we feel miserable from being sick and spreading our disease. Whether if I stay home or go working depends on the sickness by 3 factors: 1) Level of Sickness 2) Is it contagious? 3) Can I go to work? If any two of the above is too much to bear, I won't go to work.
1 person likes this
@biman_s (1060)
• India
20 Oct 09
I know the situation every where and I am very lucky considering others since I have to do my work from home. I can do my work on-line if I am unable to go to office. Work is a must for me and I don't like to be absent. I am a author and I make my living by writing articles and reviews. This is very lucrative for the time being, for me considering I am still completing my P.G degree.
@JunLee (15)
• China
20 Oct 09
You are so lucky.Maybe someday all people can work through the website.
@diamania (7011)
• Netherlands
20 Oct 09
If I'd know I had the flu but feel pretty fine I wouldn't stay home. The pig flu isn't more dangerous than a normal flu. The vaccine they want to administer is probably even more dangerous than the flu itself. A lot of experts say you can get cancer from it.
1 person likes this
@Fulltank (2882)
• Philippines
20 Oct 09
If your thinking that you would lose your days pay, then use your sick leave. Just don't report to work if you fell that you have it. Better yet, go straight to the doctor for them to diagnose you. Your day's earned would not be enough if later, you'll found out that you had this sickness. Think about it.
1 person likes this
• Chile
20 Oct 09
It depends. If you feel really sick, you should stay home, but if it's a simple cold, you should go to work. If swine flu or h1n1 is transmitted by fluids, direct contact with them or something, you should go to work but be careful with what you touch, be very clean, if you sneeze you should cover right in time with your forearm or with a handkerchief or carry this sort of mouth-masks.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14921)
• Malaysia
20 Oct 09
I'd definitely take a day off if I am sick. I always think when we are sick, we should rest at home, otherwise it'll become worse. Also, spreading the virus to others is not good, especially we are working in a closed, air-conditioned room. Or, sometimes if I really need to go to work and finish up some projects, then I'll "quarantine" myself in the meeting room, so the chance of spreading the virus hopefully is lesser. But, most of the time I prefer to take a rest, as I can't really work when I'm sick.
• Canada
21 Oct 09
That's true. Usually sick requires tons of rest, as it speeds your recovery. H1N1 requires tons of sleep for example.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
20 Oct 09
i work in a small not for profit office that only has a few workers in it so if someone is sick or on holidays, others have to pick up the slack. i tend to get sick a lot because i have a horrible immune system so yes, i have gone to work when i am sick, but if i feel i cant do the job or if i have a fever, i stay home.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Oct 09
hi gogirl I live in a retirement center in ca with about 90 other people and outside the front doors are posted large posters asking anyone having symptoms of either type of flu please to not come into our building which stands to reason as we have people retired here from ages 50 up to 96 and a lot of us have diabetes or other things that have damaged our immune systems so we are more prone than the average person to pick up the flu bugs. After all the relative that has say swine flu and doesnt know it can give it to his dearest relative and not even know it.so they are asked to stay away if they are ill. I worked while ill but it really is not the thing to do,specially now with this more serious type of flu.
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
21 Oct 09
Wow I think it depends on how I was feeling .Like you said you have to balance how you feel with present health risks.Personally I have gone to work when I was sick but it depends on if I was strong enough to take care of myself .It is only logical that if I was so sick that I couldnt walk then it would be wise to go to work .However if I had even teh slightest notion that I may have a communicable disease then I wouldnt go to work for fear of infecting my fellow coworkers and other persons irrespective of whether I would loose my work or not.
@zhuhuifen46 (3483)
• China
21 Oct 09
I used to work while sick, though I felt myself a bit a nuisance in the office in spite of silent rejection. With the awareness of H1Niflu possible spreading, it is recommended that the sick stay at home and be provided best assistance from the community. Maybe from now on, we need to shift to such brand new civilized manners in terms of work and rest.
@clorissa123 (4926)
• United States
21 Oct 09
I hate to go to work while I was sick. But I will try my best to summon my energy up, and make it to work. But sometimes, I will call in sick and not be able to work. But usually I will do my best to make it to work.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
20 Oct 09
If I only had a cold and was not running a fever than I would take my medicine and go to work. If I had the flu with an upset stomach and a fever and other symptoms I would stay home.
20 Oct 09
What do you mean by sick? I have had colds off and on and mild headaches off and on but if i stayed off work at every little sniff then i wouldn't be there most of the time. I work with children and we pick up their colds as well as the other way round BUT if i have been sick and i feel unwell then no i will not go into work for 48-72 hours due to the risk to the little ones. I am paid sick pay so don't have to ever worry so would take the time off if i thought i needed to.
@coolcat123 (4387)
• India
20 Oct 09
Yes, I go to my work even when I am sick as there are certain rules to be followed by the offices and being a part of it, we have some reponsibilities to overcome. whatever happens , I never miss a day.
• Philippines
20 Oct 09
hello gogirl, I wonder how many people went of to work during the out break. as for me, before when i was working, i would rest myself and then only awake when it is time for work. luckily i was able to get over it while i still got the chance but the colds went a bit worse because the bus aircon was too much for me.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
20 Oct 09
For me it would depend on what kind of sick I am. If I had flu-like symptoms, then in light of the H1N1 epidemic, no I would not go to work. However, if I was just dealing with the allergy/sinus symptoms that I've been dealing with off and on for a month, then yes I would go to work. I've dealt with allergy/sinus symptoms every fall since I was a child so I am quite used to what those symptoms are like and I'm not afraid to work while dealing with those.
• Philippines
20 Oct 09
If I am sick I would prefer to stay at home and rest. Why? I know I will only make myself worst in doing that and as a concern citizen, I will not be the reason for others to get sick as well. I will be selfish if I only think of myself. If I am really sick, I know even if I go to work, I will not be able to accomplish my duties well and worst end up going half day. Thinking about the 1 day salary? What about your transportation cost, time and energy you consume, if you were asked by your boss to go home and rest? It is useless for it defeats the purpose of "getting to work". If you pushed yourself too hard, worst you might lengthen your sickness period that is surely a greater lost on your part.
@shadow41 (2351)
• Philippines
20 Oct 09
Hi there. For me being a nurse, I won't go to work if I'm sick. I will just end up spreading my virus to patients or to my co-workers and what's worst is I may end up catching some more viruses in the hospital. When we are sick our immune system is weak so it's best to stay at home and have a rest to recover quickly. shadow41
• Philippines
20 Oct 09
Hi GoGirl! you know, if i am sick i would stay home. It is so difficult not feeling well and working at the same time. I have experienced that many times already during my migraine attacks. I cannot concentrate on my work and i feel like lying and sleeping in bed. Besides, if you are sick with H1N1 you have all the reasons to stay at home or better yet in a hospital. Virus of communicable diseases should not be spread to others.