Being sick is not fun… and there are a lot of germs going around lately. Ick! What’s even more disgusting than being sick is being sick and insiting on going to public places (i.e., MY OFFICE) and knowingly risking the health of others. I interviewd a lady yesterday who told me that she wouldn’t shake my hand because she had strep throat. Greeeeat…
Apparently I’m not alone in this sick, sad world. Many employers these days are dealing with presenteeism – a situation where employees show up to work despite an illness. According to a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, presenteeism costs employers $180 billion annually, while employee absenteeism only costs companies $118 billion per year…
Why does presenteeism cost employers so much? When an employee shows up sick to work, their productivity is down. To make matters worse, you also risk infecting your co-workers, who will either have to stay home or come into the office and “spread the love” even further. And no one wants that kind of love.
So why don’t people just stay home? Despite the fact that most employers offer paid “sick time,” many are afraid of what would happen if they didn’t come to work. Some fear that their work wouldn’t get done if they didn’t show up, or they don’t want to burden their already overworked co-workers. Others are afraid that they’ll lose their jobs completely if they don’t come to work.
But, in reality, if you have more than just the sniffles, you’re doing yourself, your co-workers and your company a disservice. The most common way to catch a cold or the flu is by touching something contaminated by someone else who’s infected. For example, a contaminated phone is more likely to get you sick than someone sneezing in your face.
Things to Remember:
● Don’t be a Hero. If you have a cough, a fever, or something that seems contagious – stay home. Staying home for a day or two will speed up your recovery process. ***Note: hangovers do not count in this particular case***
● Work from home. If you feel up to doing so and your company allows you to, take work home and finish it there. Your co-workers will thank you for getting things done and for not spreading germs.
● Get a flu shot. Check with a doctor to be sure you’re a good candidate for a flu shot. For the right person, it could reduce your chance of illness during the cold and flu season.
● Take your sick time. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, 57% of companies offer paid sick leave. Find out how many days you get per year and whether or not they rollover to the next year OR if they have a “use it or lose it” policy.
Still singing, “Should I stay or should I go?” Be sure you have access to your boss or HR representative after working hours, either by phone or email. Contact them and see what they think you should do. In most cases, they will be happy that you are considerate enough to ask!
Abby is the Business and Employment Editor for Girls Guide. She is an HR/Recruiting Specialist for a local, woman-owned staffing agency in Clayton by day, and an active volunteer all over St. Louis by night. You can email her at abigail184 [at] gmail [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.
“Despite the fact that most employers offer paid ’sick time,’ many are afraid of what would happen if they didn’t come to work.”
‘Most’ is barely more than half–57% as quoted above. It’s more likely that the majority of people working sick are aren’t fortunate enough to work for one of these companies, or haven’t worked for them long enough to qualify for sick days. Folks in that boat usually can’t afford–literally, afford in the financial sense–to kiss off a day’s wages by staying home.
It doesn’t help that employers in these sorts of positions actively discourage employees from calling in sick, germs or no, to the point of ordering them to show and unofficially punishing them (through attitude, hour cuts and work load) if they do not.
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All I can think about is how annoying that floating ad was when I was trying to read the post…lol.
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Mokie – I hear you. Not working and not making money isn’t an option for some.
Since more than half of people are able to utilize paid sick time, this post was directed at them. Never would I suggest that someone stay home if it affects their financial status or job security.
Also keep in mind that pushing yourself too much when you are sick can result in further illness. Although staying home one day without pay hurts, having to take time off later AND pay a Dr bill sucks even more!
Also this post is to remind people to be considerate of others- most everyone is hurting financially so getting someone else sick affects their life as well… Food for thought.
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One benefit of all the H1N1 hoopla is the “sick day” ethic at my work place has become a very sensible “keep your germs at home, don’t come to work and spread them around.”
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