Career Advice

Three Reasons You Should Stay Home From Work If You’re Sick

posted on April 23, 2019 | by Michele Lando

I’m finally on the mend from a nasty cold that knocked me down for a full week. It’s been years since I was sick from a cold like that and it definitely wasn’t fun, however, it forced me to relax and give my body the time it needed to recuperate. We’re often trying to do a lot at once, and getting sick can make your workload feel overwhelming, so I wanted to share three reasons you should stay home from work if you’re sick.

It’s important to give yourself time to actually recover and get better

My first response to being sick is always “no, no, I’m fine. I can still go about my daily routine without the sickness impeding on it,” so I’m right there with you if you’re trying to power through it.

The truth of the matter is that our bodies need time to heal. You don’t need to take a full week off, but if you’re sick and miserable, give yourself a day or two to stay home from work and get better. Doing so will likely enable you to recover faster than if you just run your body ragged and keep working at full speed while you’re sick. Plus, this will give you time to catch up on a book, Netflix, or anything else you might have put on the back burner.

Being sick is a bummer, but it can also serve as a way to reset your physical and mental health, so take advantage of this!

No one at work wants to catch your illness

Let’s be clear that you can be sick with a disease or chronic illness that is not contagious. If this is the case, you should still stay home and let your body heal. With that in mind, if you are sick with something that is contagious, it’s important to think of those around you before you head into work. No one wants to get sick or be around someone who could possibly get them sick.

It’s estimated that just one person carrying a virus can infect up to 50 percent of all employees and equipment in their vicinity within just four hours. Bottom line? Save your co-workers the stress and stay home. One person home sick is better than half the office home sick.

The world won’t end if you give yourself a break

It’s common to feel like things won’t function at work without you, but that’s not the case. Yes, you are valuable, however staying home from work when you’re sick won’t bring the world to an end. If you’re home sick when there’s a pressing deadline, you can go about it in a couple of different ways.

If you’re really sick, your work likely won’t be up to par anyway, so shoot your boss and coworkers an email explaining the situation. Try sending an email like this:

“Hi Everyone. Unfortunately I’ve come down with a nasty cold and will be staying home today. I’m aware of our pressing deadline however I don’t want to risk getting any of you sick or providing mediocre work. I’m not at the top of my game right now, so I’ll reevaluate and work on this as soon as possible. In the meantime, x, y, or z can be done in my absence. Feel free to reach out by email with any questions!”

If you’re feeling up to it, you can also do some work from home. It’s a lot easier to get a few tasks accomplished when you’re sick when you’re comfortable and in your PJs. Take it easy, but if you do really need to get some work done, just do what needs to be done from home!

Ultimately, going to work when you’re really sick is never a good idea. Instead of powering through it, give yourself time to relax, refrain from getting your coworkers sick, and work from home if need be.