It's Okay to Call in Sick

Working while sick

I'm sure by now you have all seen the video clip of US Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton being assisted by secret service agents into her campaign vehicle after a fainting spell brought on by overheating. And even though she emerged a few hours later having rested and looking much better, her doctor had to release a statement that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia a few days earlier and that she would be taking a few days off the campaign trail to heal.

In an ideal situation you should call in sick whenever you do not feel well enough to function optimally at work, yet many people would rather come in to work for fear that their job security may be undermined by missing work days due to ill health.

As much as we want to be healthy all the time, the human body was designed to break down when it comes in contact with foreign bodies (germs, bacteria, viruses etc) yet 60% of workers still show up to work when they have the flu. Many of them show up not because they are overly committed to the job but because their bosses or workplaces discourages them from taking sick time.

Even though the typical employer frowns at absenteeism, it has been proven that coming to work sick is worse for productivity. So showing up to work just to count as present is more harmful to the company's output than if you had taken the day off.  Hillary Clinton's recent gawfaw is an example of why its better to stay at home when sick than show up. After a very public coughing spell at an earlier campaign stop and subsequent diagnoses, she should have taken a few days off the trail but instead continued on the gruelling campaign trail and olny had to stop after she was caught on videoe struggling to stand on her feet after an event to mark the 15yr memorial of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. Despite the fact that her campaign was forced to release her pneumonia diagnoses and placed her on rest, a recent poll of registered voters shows a lack of trust in the presidential candidate, as they do not believe in her explanation for fainting assuming there is more to it than meets the eye.

 Besides you don't want to be in confined spaces with other people if you are dealing with a contagious infection like the common cold as you can end up infecting your entire office.

Be straightfoward with your boss. Let her know what it is that is keeping you away from work and how many days you plan to be out by. This would help her make arangements for your tasks to be covered while you are away. However, if you feel that you are able to work from home be sure to suggest this but note that you shouldn't offer to work from home when you should be taking a sick day off and not working at all.

Depending on your company's policy, you might be required to bring a sick note from a certified medical practitioner to work upon your resumption. Be sure to provide one if it is required even if you aren't expressly asked for one by your boss.