Should You Go to Work When You're Sick?

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Finally, your decision to come to work sick is unfair to yourself. No matter what the policy of your employer may be, when you have a cold or the flu you deserve time off to get better. This means staying at home, but not to do work. Trying to replicate a day in the office from your sickbed may prevent you from making others sick, but it won't do much to hasten your recovery. Real, meaningful convalescence means taking it easy by sleeping as much as you can, taking it easy when awake, drinking plenty of water, and taking appropriate medicines.

It is just as wrong for your boss to demand or expect that you work while sick as it is for you to feel compelled to do so. Being ethical isn't just about treating others with kindness, compassion, and respect. It's also about regarding ourselves this way, even (or especially) when we don't feel well.

But What If…?

Some will find it especially hard to do what I am suggesting here. The single parent whose employer does not offer sick days, the worker whose job is on a commission-only basis, and the employee whose skills are so specialized that a replacement is not readily available all seem to have stronger reasons than most to trudge in to work with a lingering cold or flu. I am not convinced, however, that even folks in these pressing situations have no viable alternative.

A good manager will understand that it is in his or her own interest not to have a cold- or flu-ridden employee on the job, and finding a temporary replacement or simply putting the job on hold for the moment may be more feasible than the stricken worker wants to admit. If we do good work when we're well, chances are a decent boss will find a way to bridge the gap during those times when we're sick. Isn't it worth asking the boss for a break?

Ultimately, of course, presenteeism is a management issue, and prudent, ethical managers will not allow an employee to come to work sick or will insist that a sick person go home. (And managers, the same standard applies to you.) It's critical that employers create cultures where employees aren't afraid to take time off when they are ill. It may be justifiable to fire a person who consistently slacks off and doesn't take the job seriously; it is deeply immoral, however, to make employees so fearful of losing their jobs that they won't take time off, even when they have the legitimate complaint of being sick.

Stay Home. Do Good. Get Well

Doing no harm (BusinessWeek, 1/11/07), making things better (BusinessWeek, 1/18/07), respecting others (BusinessWeek, 1/31/07), being fair (BusinessWeek, 2/15/07), and being loving and kind (BusinessWeek, 2/22/07) means, in part, making smart choices when we feel the onset of a cold or flu. Our company, clients, and co-workers will be grateful for our decision to skip an unproductive, sneeze-filled day at the office. Let's face it: so will you!

Weinstein is the corporate consultant, author, and public speaker known as The Ethics Guy. He has appeared on numerous national TV shows and is the author of several books on ethics. His Ask the Ethics Guy! column appears every other week on BusinessWeek.com's Managing channel.