How to Remain Professional at Work when You Are Not Feeling Well

Doesn't illness always seem to strike at the most unappropriate of times? Even the most understanding employer needs reliable employees that come to work and do their job, sick or not. As long as you are not contagious or seriously ill, most people drag into work feeling frumpy. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you are not feeling well at work or if you are too uncomfortable to continue activities that involve your co-workers.

During group meetings, try to sit near the door. If you need to excuse yourself from the meeting, you can do so easily and with little interruption. Before meetings, let your boss or the leader of the meeting know that you are simply not feeling well and you are sorry if you must leave during the meeting itself. If you are in an interview or other small meeting and can not slip out, excuse yourself and leave rather than sitting miserably through the meeting. If you decide to stay through the meeting, you will be unable to concentrate and your co-workers will most likely notice that something is wrong. Staying throughout a meeting can also disrupt the meeting for other attendants. If you are giving a presentation, offer a break to the audience while you take a needed breather. Simply tell your co-workers to grab a cup of coffee or stretch for a few minutes.

Always be prepared for emergency situations that may arise while you are at work. Have a kit prepared ahead of time in case you are not feeling well. Inside of your kit should be first aid supplies, pain releivers, gas relief medication, medicine for upset stomach, sinus medication and any other medicines you may need for illnesses that you suffer from. Nothing is worse than sitting through an entire day at work with no relief.

If you have the type of job felxibility that you can work from home, offer to take your work home for the day. You can rest in the comfort of your own home and get the needed work done at your pace. If bringing work home is not an option, ask your supervisor if you can come in early or stay late one day to catch up on anything that you might miss during your brief absence. In some offices, you need to find a substitue of your own. Try to keep a list of co-workers that you can call if an emergency situation arises while you are working.

If all else fails, tell your supervisor that you are sick and need to leave for the day. While most bosses will understand, others will not. Be polite and professional and ask if a doctor's note is needed when you return. All of us have been sick at some point or another, including the boss or supervisor that acts as he hasn't. Offering a doctor's excuse may help your boss see the necessity and urgency in the situation. You should not have to sit through the day miserable and you surely do not want to get any of your co-workers sick.